With all my projects - clients - and re-doing my own website I wake up every morning with a spring in my step. It is really exciting to see my business growing and at the same time to be able to launch other projects that excite me.
I have not been able to do this overnight however - One thing I would like you to understand is that "in the beginning" (here we go with genesis again!) You may not (unless you are a genius) be able to run 100 different directions or launch 20 different projects.
If you learn nothing else from reading this please remember - the number 1 thing you absolutely need to know is - build a strong foundation first! If you don't do that your business will fall like a house of cards when you change your focus to marketing or other endeavors. I cannot emphasis enough, how important it is to focus on the basic foundation of you business one step at a time...
Focus.. Focus.. Focus..
Sit down and really look at your website - and where you business is.
7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Move Forward
1. Do you have a workable business strategy that makes sense?
2. Do you have a website that will attract and retain the traffic that will come to it once you really start marketing your business?
3. Are you branded so when a visitor hits your front page they know exactly what you product service can do or does for them?
4. Are you set up so that visitors can sign-up for some great freebie's (information product)? This in return will give you database that you can market to again and again always remember your database is gold.
5. Are you submitting your website to search engines - knowing that your website is not up to par? OR even worse you have not placed keywords or looked at how to optimize your site so that it will place high in a search engine directory...
6. Are you worried about traffic to your site so you buy traffic or you run ad sense even when you have no way to capture crucial information from your visitors?
7. Do you float from a marketing program to marketing program without first making sure all the pieces are in place to make it successful?? IMPORTANT: Please take the next few days and really sit down and decide what your prime business goals are. Look at your website and make sure it has the components to be a marketing machine. Just take a step back - honestly review what you have done - make sure you are headed in the right direction... If not change course get your website where it essentially needs to be then again go full speed ahead to your success!!
Wednesday 5 May 2010
Tuesday 4 May 2010
A Keyword Anchored Backlink Can Move You Up in the Search Results
I spend some time each week looking through my website stats - the keyword results in particular. Most good tracking software will give you a list of keywords that visitors have typed into one of the popular search engines to get to your site. Today I want to share with you how a simple keyword anchored back link can move you up in the search results for these terms which will result in more traffic to your site. Interested? Here we go...
Start with the keyword or keyphrase whose ranking you want to improve. I like to work with a list of about 5 of them at any given time. Note where you are ranking for each of them right now and keep a record of it (either in a notebook or in a spreadsheet). If you are already getting traffic chances are pretty good that you are ranking somewhere on the first three pages in one of the big search engines.
Now it's time to build a keyword-rich backlink for each of them. A good place to start is to write an article and submit it to a strong article directory like EzineArticles.com. Make sure you use the keyphrase or keyword you want to rank for as the anchor text for the link in your author resource box.
Submit the article, wait for it to get approved and then come back a few days later and check your results. You should notice a rise in the rankings. If you're not quite where you'd like to be, write and submit another article. You can submit it to a different category in the same article directory, or choose another strong article directory.
Another option would be to write a guest blog post on a related blog. The stronger the blog, the better the backlink will be. Rinse and repeat as needed until you are getting the search engine rankings you want.
If you've created a few strong links and are not moving up as much as you like, chances are that this particular keyword is a harder to rank for and that the competition for that term is fierce. Don't give up on it, but consider modifying the term you want to rank for a bit. I like to keep the same main term, but add a modifier. Let me give you an example:
If you are trying to rank for "widget manufacturing" and can't quite get in the top three spots in Google for that term, go after "blue widget manufacturing" or "best widget manufacturing" for now. Change your title tag on that page to reflect this new term and then start building backlinks with this modified keyphrase. You should rather quickly see some SEO Traffic coming in from that modified term and over time you'll improve your rankings for the main phrase as well.
Start with the keyword or keyphrase whose ranking you want to improve. I like to work with a list of about 5 of them at any given time. Note where you are ranking for each of them right now and keep a record of it (either in a notebook or in a spreadsheet). If you are already getting traffic chances are pretty good that you are ranking somewhere on the first three pages in one of the big search engines.
Now it's time to build a keyword-rich backlink for each of them. A good place to start is to write an article and submit it to a strong article directory like EzineArticles.com. Make sure you use the keyphrase or keyword you want to rank for as the anchor text for the link in your author resource box.
Submit the article, wait for it to get approved and then come back a few days later and check your results. You should notice a rise in the rankings. If you're not quite where you'd like to be, write and submit another article. You can submit it to a different category in the same article directory, or choose another strong article directory.
Another option would be to write a guest blog post on a related blog. The stronger the blog, the better the backlink will be. Rinse and repeat as needed until you are getting the search engine rankings you want.
If you've created a few strong links and are not moving up as much as you like, chances are that this particular keyword is a harder to rank for and that the competition for that term is fierce. Don't give up on it, but consider modifying the term you want to rank for a bit. I like to keep the same main term, but add a modifier. Let me give you an example:
If you are trying to rank for "widget manufacturing" and can't quite get in the top three spots in Google for that term, go after "blue widget manufacturing" or "best widget manufacturing" for now. Change your title tag on that page to reflect this new term and then start building backlinks with this modified keyphrase. You should rather quickly see some SEO Traffic coming in from that modified term and over time you'll improve your rankings for the main phrase as well.
Friday 30 April 2010
Learn About Twitter Marketing
Anybody can make money by using Twitter. You will need only three things to do this - a Twitter account (which is free), your own website or another way to monetize your Twitter account, such as affiliate links systems, and a knowledge of social networking channel marketing.
The first two of those are simple enough to set-up, but the third one is more difficult to implement. You can certainly teach yourself how to market through Twitter though, and these tips will get you going in the right direction...
- Do not just advertise, talk to your followers
Understand that your Twitter account is not to be used as a digital billboard. You will see some people doing this - they post tweet after tweet of links to products and services - but that does not mean that they are making any money.
- Market products or services that your followers need
If you market a product that your audience do not need or want, then they will not buy it. It is as simple as that. Make sure you know what you are selling and that the potential customers will want to buy it. Research is key.
- It is not about the number of people, it is about your relationship with those people
There are various tools available on the internet that will enable you to gain followers very quickly over a short period of time. Though as we mentioned earlier, it is important to actually get to know your customers, so having thousands of people following you that you do not know could ultimately be pointless.
OK, so you may not be making money immediately, but if you follow the tips given above, within a month or so you should be seeing the fruits of your labor. Who knows, within a year you could be earning enough to give up your day job!
The first two of those are simple enough to set-up, but the third one is more difficult to implement. You can certainly teach yourself how to market through Twitter though, and these tips will get you going in the right direction...
- Do not just advertise, talk to your followers
Understand that your Twitter account is not to be used as a digital billboard. You will see some people doing this - they post tweet after tweet of links to products and services - but that does not mean that they are making any money.
- Market products or services that your followers need
If you market a product that your audience do not need or want, then they will not buy it. It is as simple as that. Make sure you know what you are selling and that the potential customers will want to buy it. Research is key.
- It is not about the number of people, it is about your relationship with those people
There are various tools available on the internet that will enable you to gain followers very quickly over a short period of time. Though as we mentioned earlier, it is important to actually get to know your customers, so having thousands of people following you that you do not know could ultimately be pointless.
OK, so you may not be making money immediately, but if you follow the tips given above, within a month or so you should be seeing the fruits of your labor. Who knows, within a year you could be earning enough to give up your day job!
Thursday 29 April 2010
How to Develop Software Products in 4 Easy Steps
Are you thinking of ways to develop software products to sell as in intimate marketer? Then you better do that in a proactive manner. The processes to develop software products generally include several stages, which have worked for businesses and individuals on a continual basis.
The problem why most intimate marketer's are not successful online, is that they fail to follow a step-by-step strategic plan filled with measures which have been found to be successful.
Following are 4 tried and true successful steps, which include:
1. defining requirements
2. developing codes based on those requirements
3. testing those codes and making corrections and/or enhancements
4. And finally marketing and selling the applications.
If you look at the top level, all software companies go through the same stages. Even though you will be able to draw many other details in all of these disciplines, the core steps followed to develop software products are the above mentioned 4 steps. The individuals, who have inculcated these Internet marketing habits or firms, who develop and product software, refuse to take up these sequential stages and normally would end up consuming more amount of money in order to fix the bugs or to develop the broken applications.
Someone who has the right knowledge and the brilliance to apply the same can develop good software and also can include this along with their previously successful Internet marketing habits. All of these difficulties and more will get halved if you yourself are a software developer. You have been provided with some of the major things to be learned where you go ahead with developing software applications.
The first question is that of finding out the optimum, viable idea. This will form the most initial stage of developing software.
The subsequent stage is to discover the ways to translate the idea in to a developable product. In short, this will determine your ability to develop the blueprints for the new software.
The third stage is to look out for the suitable developers present in the market, especially if you aren't a developer and choosing the right personnel to work along and deciding on a fair compensation for them.
The last stage is to find routes to market and sell the software that you have developed.
As an Internet marketer who sells products and services online, you know the value of good software products which have a viable market. By developing good products which your target niche market is looking for you'll almost be guaranteed with continual traffic flowing to your website.
Once these visitors are to your site your job is to convert them into subscribers by providing them with some type of often offer such as a free manual or report. Once they have opted in to your last, your job is then to convert them into a buying customer. Your subscribers will buy from people who they know, like and trust. You develop this relationship with your subscribers by providing them with valuable content. By taking these steps you'll increase the likelihood of your website visitors believe in that you can provide the solution to their software problems.
If you are out to attract prospective customers and develop your online presence and exposure, you owe it to yourself and the financial future of your business to learn everything you can about Internet marketing.
The problem why most intimate marketer's are not successful online, is that they fail to follow a step-by-step strategic plan filled with measures which have been found to be successful.
Following are 4 tried and true successful steps, which include:
1. defining requirements
2. developing codes based on those requirements
3. testing those codes and making corrections and/or enhancements
4. And finally marketing and selling the applications.
If you look at the top level, all software companies go through the same stages. Even though you will be able to draw many other details in all of these disciplines, the core steps followed to develop software products are the above mentioned 4 steps. The individuals, who have inculcated these Internet marketing habits or firms, who develop and product software, refuse to take up these sequential stages and normally would end up consuming more amount of money in order to fix the bugs or to develop the broken applications.
Someone who has the right knowledge and the brilliance to apply the same can develop good software and also can include this along with their previously successful Internet marketing habits. All of these difficulties and more will get halved if you yourself are a software developer. You have been provided with some of the major things to be learned where you go ahead with developing software applications.
The first question is that of finding out the optimum, viable idea. This will form the most initial stage of developing software.
The subsequent stage is to discover the ways to translate the idea in to a developable product. In short, this will determine your ability to develop the blueprints for the new software.
The third stage is to look out for the suitable developers present in the market, especially if you aren't a developer and choosing the right personnel to work along and deciding on a fair compensation for them.
The last stage is to find routes to market and sell the software that you have developed.
As an Internet marketer who sells products and services online, you know the value of good software products which have a viable market. By developing good products which your target niche market is looking for you'll almost be guaranteed with continual traffic flowing to your website.
Once these visitors are to your site your job is to convert them into subscribers by providing them with some type of often offer such as a free manual or report. Once they have opted in to your last, your job is then to convert them into a buying customer. Your subscribers will buy from people who they know, like and trust. You develop this relationship with your subscribers by providing them with valuable content. By taking these steps you'll increase the likelihood of your website visitors believe in that you can provide the solution to their software problems.
If you are out to attract prospective customers and develop your online presence and exposure, you owe it to yourself and the financial future of your business to learn everything you can about Internet marketing.
Wednesday 28 April 2010
Build Thousands of Links to Your Website and Improve Your Search Engine Ranking
There are two kinds of links that we are going to talk about today, one way back links and reciprocal links. Both of these are very important to your websites success and search engine ranking.
One way links or back links, certainly the best of the two. One way links are great because they don't require you to list the other site on your site. This gives the link more value to the search engines. Below I have listed my favorite methods for getting these valuable links.
1) Write and submit press releases about your products or website. When you submit your site to the press release directories they in turn send them out to other major directories and search engines. With your submission you include the url to your site, every time the directory sends your press release out your back links are multiplying.
2) Participate in niche related forums, you can include your link in your signature file for one thing. For another every time you make a relevant posting your link is also posted giving you more back links. The same thing applies to blog posting.
3) Write and submit niche related article to article directories. This establishes you as an expert in your field as well as gets you numerous back links to your site. You can also publish your article on your own site or blog, this provides an easy way to constantly update your content and keep your site fresh.
The other type of links we will discuss are reciprocal links, this is where you exchange links with other niche related websites and blogs. I recommend placing a category page on your site, this will look more professional to your visitors. Then place each link you exchange in their proper category. Try and exchange links with higher page ranks then you, remember quality over quantity.
By following these simple steps you will over time advance in your page rank which will drive more organic traffic to your site or blog, this is the most highly targeted traffic you can get because they are looking for what you have.
One way links or back links, certainly the best of the two. One way links are great because they don't require you to list the other site on your site. This gives the link more value to the search engines. Below I have listed my favorite methods for getting these valuable links.
1) Write and submit press releases about your products or website. When you submit your site to the press release directories they in turn send them out to other major directories and search engines. With your submission you include the url to your site, every time the directory sends your press release out your back links are multiplying.
2) Participate in niche related forums, you can include your link in your signature file for one thing. For another every time you make a relevant posting your link is also posted giving you more back links. The same thing applies to blog posting.
3) Write and submit niche related article to article directories. This establishes you as an expert in your field as well as gets you numerous back links to your site. You can also publish your article on your own site or blog, this provides an easy way to constantly update your content and keep your site fresh.
The other type of links we will discuss are reciprocal links, this is where you exchange links with other niche related websites and blogs. I recommend placing a category page on your site, this will look more professional to your visitors. Then place each link you exchange in their proper category. Try and exchange links with higher page ranks then you, remember quality over quantity.
By following these simple steps you will over time advance in your page rank which will drive more organic traffic to your site or blog, this is the most highly targeted traffic you can get because they are looking for what you have.
Tuesday 27 April 2010
How to Find a Work at Home Job Without Being Taken For a Ride
When it comes to working from home, there are real jobs out there. Unfortunately, there are even more scams out there. The internet and computers are wonderful technology and together they have opened a whole new world. However, with the good comes the bad. The internet has made it easier for more people to be cheated than ever before. Unscrupulous people love to prey on the desperate ones.
Sadly, some people make themselves perfect targets because they tend to believe almost everything that they read on the internet. If you honestly believe every email that you receive, and even worse forward them to everyone you know, then you are exactly the kind of person a scammer would be targeting. I'm sorry if that offends anyone, but I'm trying to enlighten, not win a popularity contest.
About 90% of these job scams are pretty easy to spot because scammers are fairly lazy. They'll just reuse the same old scams that have been around for awhile. They may change the wording a little but the gist is the same. So what should you be looking out for? You should be cautious when you see mention of:
1. Training materials.
I'm going to throw my own made up statistic out there and say that 99% of all jobs that charge you a fee for "training materials" are scams. These are usually described as data entry jobs but there really is no data entry involved. Once you pay the scammer for "training materials," they'll tell you how to go out and scam others the same way that you were just scammed. Sweet, huh?
2. Data entry jobs that say that you will earn "between $300-$500 a week".
For some reason, scammers love to quote the $300-$500 range and I have no idea why. Maybe it's what they teach in Scamming 101 or maybe it's because it's an amount that would satisfy a good percentage of job seekers. Either way, when you see an ad like this, lace up those Nikes and start running.
3. Payment processing jobs.
This is a bad scam because this one could actually land you in jail or prison. It's so ridiculous that anyone who really stopped to think about it, should be able to see it for what it is. This scam involves an "employer" contacting you and basically saying that they want you to receive payments for them. A few days after you accept this "job", you will receive a (usually large) check in the mail. Your "job" is to go to your bank, cash the check, keep a small percentage (usually 10%) and send the rest back to your employer. Sounds simple, right? Wrong!
The problem occurs when your bank finally figures out that the check is not real. This could take days, it could take weeks but they will figure it out. Once they figure this all out, who do you think they will come to in order to get their money back? That's right, you. But that's not the worse part. Not only do you owe the bank money but you've cashed a counterfeit check, which usually means the police will be contacted. So now, you're out of money and you may be in trouble with the law. Common sense would tell most people that something about this "job" just seems wrong but they still fall for it.
4. Outrageously high pay.
Yes, we all would like to sit at home, work a couple of hours and make $5,000 a week. For most of us, though, that is and will always remain a pipe dream. Scammers say things like that because they know that some people are greedy, really greedy. And the really greedy won't stop to think that this is a ridiculous amount to be paid for doing nothing. To make it worse, a lot of these jobs will say they require, "no degree, no experience and no skills" Does that make any sense at all? To some people, it does.
5. Your personal documentation. I can't believe I even have to put this here but I've seen this happen, so I'll throw it out there. If a job tells you that they need you to mail in your ACTUAL social security card, drivers license and/or birth certificate. DON'T DO IT! For tax purposes, many legitimate companies will require copies of your personal documents but they have no need for your originals. However, anyone desiring a case of identity theft should go right ahead and send it in.
In closing, I would like to say that if a job description causes you to throw up red flags, you should keep moving. Likewise, if you feel compelled to ask if a job is legit then it probably isn't. Use your instincts, think about what makes sense and don't let desperation lead you down the wrong path. Scams nowadays cannot only cost you your money but also your freedom or your identity.
I have been working from home for over 10 years and I love sharing what I've learned with others. If you're interested in working from home but don't know where to start, I have something that will send you down the right path. I know what companies are looking for telecommuters and I'll tell you who they are. http://workathomewisdom.com/default.aspx
Sadly, some people make themselves perfect targets because they tend to believe almost everything that they read on the internet. If you honestly believe every email that you receive, and even worse forward them to everyone you know, then you are exactly the kind of person a scammer would be targeting. I'm sorry if that offends anyone, but I'm trying to enlighten, not win a popularity contest.
About 90% of these job scams are pretty easy to spot because scammers are fairly lazy. They'll just reuse the same old scams that have been around for awhile. They may change the wording a little but the gist is the same. So what should you be looking out for? You should be cautious when you see mention of:
1. Training materials.
I'm going to throw my own made up statistic out there and say that 99% of all jobs that charge you a fee for "training materials" are scams. These are usually described as data entry jobs but there really is no data entry involved. Once you pay the scammer for "training materials," they'll tell you how to go out and scam others the same way that you were just scammed. Sweet, huh?
2. Data entry jobs that say that you will earn "between $300-$500 a week".
For some reason, scammers love to quote the $300-$500 range and I have no idea why. Maybe it's what they teach in Scamming 101 or maybe it's because it's an amount that would satisfy a good percentage of job seekers. Either way, when you see an ad like this, lace up those Nikes and start running.
3. Payment processing jobs.
This is a bad scam because this one could actually land you in jail or prison. It's so ridiculous that anyone who really stopped to think about it, should be able to see it for what it is. This scam involves an "employer" contacting you and basically saying that they want you to receive payments for them. A few days after you accept this "job", you will receive a (usually large) check in the mail. Your "job" is to go to your bank, cash the check, keep a small percentage (usually 10%) and send the rest back to your employer. Sounds simple, right? Wrong!
The problem occurs when your bank finally figures out that the check is not real. This could take days, it could take weeks but they will figure it out. Once they figure this all out, who do you think they will come to in order to get their money back? That's right, you. But that's not the worse part. Not only do you owe the bank money but you've cashed a counterfeit check, which usually means the police will be contacted. So now, you're out of money and you may be in trouble with the law. Common sense would tell most people that something about this "job" just seems wrong but they still fall for it.
4. Outrageously high pay.
Yes, we all would like to sit at home, work a couple of hours and make $5,000 a week. For most of us, though, that is and will always remain a pipe dream. Scammers say things like that because they know that some people are greedy, really greedy. And the really greedy won't stop to think that this is a ridiculous amount to be paid for doing nothing. To make it worse, a lot of these jobs will say they require, "no degree, no experience and no skills" Does that make any sense at all? To some people, it does.
5. Your personal documentation. I can't believe I even have to put this here but I've seen this happen, so I'll throw it out there. If a job tells you that they need you to mail in your ACTUAL social security card, drivers license and/or birth certificate. DON'T DO IT! For tax purposes, many legitimate companies will require copies of your personal documents but they have no need for your originals. However, anyone desiring a case of identity theft should go right ahead and send it in.
In closing, I would like to say that if a job description causes you to throw up red flags, you should keep moving. Likewise, if you feel compelled to ask if a job is legit then it probably isn't. Use your instincts, think about what makes sense and don't let desperation lead you down the wrong path. Scams nowadays cannot only cost you your money but also your freedom or your identity.
I have been working from home for over 10 years and I love sharing what I've learned with others. If you're interested in working from home but don't know where to start, I have something that will send you down the right path. I know what companies are looking for telecommuters and I'll tell you who they are. http://workathomewisdom.com/default.aspx
Sunday 25 April 2010
Online RSS Feed Marketing Strategies Guaranteed to Promote Your Internet Business
Online money making is now easy thanks to RSS feed marketing. People how have monetized their feed for Google adsense can attest to this. It is vital to constantly update your feeds to avoid repeat adsense links. Having the same advertisement links reduces your click through rate. Every now and then, refresh your content by posting new and captivating content thus increasing the effectiveness of your advertisements.
The fact that RSS feed marketing is about readers opting to subscribe to your content; you should view it as an opportunity to build business relationships. Therefore, make sure that every time your subscribers visit your feed you communicate to them in a compelling manner. Your articles should be rich, deep and constantly seeking to equip your readers to be better in their particular niche.
In RSS feed marketing strategy, it is vital that you choose your target market carefully and wisely. Target marketing tactic applies to all internet marketing strategies but more so to feed link marketing. The reason of stating this is because feeds are extremely targeted and to a small number of readers. Therefore, it is crucial that your content is unique and delivered perfectly.
Any online business owner should seek to include RSS feed marketing in their internet marketing arsenal. Readers are more comfortable with feed content since they are devoid of spam filters as oppose to email marketing. In addition, realize that RSS audience are savvy people and if you provide quality content you can be sure of getting new online leads on a constant basis.
RSS feed marketing is still on an upward trend thus get on board now. Follow the links below to get more insightful information on this very important online marketing strategy.
Stephen writes rich content on RSS Feed Marketing. His webpage is on Money Making Ideas and Internet Marketing Strategies. Visit his informative and insightful website at:- Money Making Secrets and learn more...
The fact that RSS feed marketing is about readers opting to subscribe to your content; you should view it as an opportunity to build business relationships. Therefore, make sure that every time your subscribers visit your feed you communicate to them in a compelling manner. Your articles should be rich, deep and constantly seeking to equip your readers to be better in their particular niche.
In RSS feed marketing strategy, it is vital that you choose your target market carefully and wisely. Target marketing tactic applies to all internet marketing strategies but more so to feed link marketing. The reason of stating this is because feeds are extremely targeted and to a small number of readers. Therefore, it is crucial that your content is unique and delivered perfectly.
Any online business owner should seek to include RSS feed marketing in their internet marketing arsenal. Readers are more comfortable with feed content since they are devoid of spam filters as oppose to email marketing. In addition, realize that RSS audience are savvy people and if you provide quality content you can be sure of getting new online leads on a constant basis.
RSS feed marketing is still on an upward trend thus get on board now. Follow the links below to get more insightful information on this very important online marketing strategy.
Stephen writes rich content on RSS Feed Marketing. His webpage is on Money Making Ideas and Internet Marketing Strategies. Visit his informative and insightful website at:- Money Making Secrets and learn more...
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