Make your website work!

More on Blogging for Business

2008-11-05T03:11:00.000-08:00

More info on Blogging
Actually, not my info but some great stuff I found that really made sense to me when I read it.
It is on a Business Blogging site and thats exactly what its all about, Blogging for Business, however, Danny Thompson has some simple, down to earth pointers very worthy of note.
So for those of you who are new to blogging for your business and want to set up a blogsite to create some informative dialogue with your potential clients, then these tips are very relevant and useful.
I have put up the live link beside this article in the sidebar.
Do go check it out, its worthy of your time.
Also, in case it wasnt clear how to create useful links back to your site from your blogsite - You must include your web address (url) somewhere on your blog. It does need to be a live link, so consider where you want to put it and refer to it, or explain exactly why the link is there - And for what reason you would click on it.
Another way, is to go to other blogs and leave a relevant comment, then leave your link as your signature.
Its more useful if the blog you are commenting on is
Relevant to your business
Popular, and has its own readers.
However, any link is a good start so dont spend too much time looking for blogs with huge readerships. Rather, focus on your blog containing useful info that others might like to read and comment on.

Blogs make websites work!

2008-11-02T23:46:00.000-08:00

Whats an easy way to make Google notice your website?
Blogging!
Weblogs, online Diaries better known as Blogs, can make websites work better in the search engines .. How?
By creating relevant and very dynamic links back to your website! .. Search is still the major problem for most websites .. How do people find you on the web?
How do you make Google sit up and take notice of your site? One way - have quality links pointing back to your site.
If there is a constant flow of information (articles on a blogsite) linking to and pointing back to your website, Google will know! .. Google reads blogs and Google (and all the other search engines too!) love blogs.
Fresh information - the stuff Google etc feeds on and devours very quickly! .. Search Engines are constantly on the lookout for new information.
So for you, that means new ways to include your keywords and phrases in articles and stories which can be written quickly and updated often.
Products to write about, new information for your readers / your target market.
If you have done all the other easy stuff, then blogging is your next step - and it can get you some instant results!

Have you optimized?
Are you keywords relevant and specific? targeted directly at your market and sprinkled liberally throughout your copy? (the words on your website)
Have you submitted to all the major industry directories and all the hundreds of other well maintained, reputable directories?
Then Blogging is the next easiest way to add new stuff - information, products, ideas and links, quickly and easily ... you can do it yourself with no training, no knowledge of html, and no costly webmaster!
And did I mention its free! .. yes free!
There are a multitude of free *put up your own blog* sites out there. Google blogger is just one of hundreds, maybe even thousands of such sites .. just waiting for you to put your stamp on, your information, your products, your links back to your website .. so dont wait, start today!
By tomorrow, Google, Yahoo, MSN and all the other Search Engines will have found and indexed your blogsite .. and you will have created new and valuable links to help with your Search Engine Rankings .. making you easier to find.
Keep it relevant and keep your Major Keywords in mind when creating your text ... Go for it! .. MYWW

Valuable Free Marketing Tool!

2008-07-09T00:35:00.000-07:00

Such a lot has been happening, we've moved house, changed jobs, family births, weddings n funerals .. it can be hectic being part of a very mobile and prolific family!
However, I have been making the time to keep up with some of the latest marketing ideas and tools to hit the internet. This is one which (although not directly related to setting up a single website for your business, has a massive amount of helpful information for you) can create you some great income anyway .. Do have a look, it's worth your time if are wanting to drive traffic for your business website (aren't we all?) or to create some real income from the web - and best of all, Its Free!

Michael Rasmussen's "Mini Site Profits Exposed" Video Series: How To Create A Mini Site That Runs On Autopilot And Makes You Money While You Sleep!

Now, don't be put off by the title - these videos contain some very valuable information for anyone putting together a website for their business, particularly if they want to make some real money! Everything in here, can be applied to your business website to make it more profitable and generate some great traffic, so do take the time to have a serious look.

Micheal Rasmussun - Mini-Site Profits.
Most Internet marketers understand that having mini sites is the fastest and easiest way to make money online. They don't require a lot of time, energy, or
money to set up, and once you've got one up and running, you can sit back and just collect money from all the sales you're making.

At least... that's how it's supposed to be, right?

The truth is that mini sites really ARE easy to set up. They really DON'T require much time, energy, and money to set up. So why is it that so few people actually make money with their mini sites?

The answer is that they never learned how to actually turn their mini site into a profitable moneymaker that runs completely on autopilot. (Yes, even your business can be automated!)The good news is...

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YOU'RE ABOUT TO LEARN HOW TO DO IT!
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Here's what this is all about: My colleague Michael Rasmussen has just released a brand new video course that will walk you through the process of creating a killer mini site from the ground up, and then he'll also teach you how to actually start making money with it right away and long-term.

If you've been looking for help with monetizing your mini sites (or business website) then this is exactly what you need. The best part? The videos are FREE!

If you're in a hurry, you can just check the videos out right now for free. Here's the URL:

http://www.minisiteprofitsexposed.com/?thankyou-page=40038

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OVERALL QUALITY
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It's important to note that these are online videos that you access from your web browser. Michael uses Camtasia Studio to create these videos, which is a really great software program.
(This can also be utilized for your business too - Simple "how to" videos make it easy for your customers to utilize your products, will generate some great traffic for you and give you that marketing edge!)

The first thing I noticed when I hit the play button on the first video was the incredible production quality. He also uses beautifully created graphics to pass his wisdom along to you, and the sound quality is great too.

Now let's move onto...

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THE ACTUAL VIDEOS
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Here's a brief summary of each video. Obviously it's impossible to list every single thing here, but I do so want you to get a feel for what each one covered, and how well it covered it.

If you're in a hurry, you can just check the videos out right now for free.

http://www.minisiteprofitsexposed.com/?thankyou-page=40038

VIDEO 1 - INTRODUCTION

This videos introduces you to the entire course, as well as the teacher himself. You'll learn what you can expect from the course, and why it's structured the way it is.

Michael realizes that you may not have heard of him, and so he spends some time establishing his credibility with you by sharing some of his biggest successes, which is fair enough. By the end of the videos, you will have no doubt.

(By the way, this is a good lesson for all of us internet marketers. If you want people to accept you as an authority on any subject, you first need to establish your credibility with the reader. That way he's willing to relax, and trust that what you're telling him is sound advice)

VIDEO 2 - THE BASICS

This video will introduce you to the basics of mini site (website) marketing. This will set the foundation that all future learning will rest upon, so it's important to pay close attention.

You'll learn:

* What mini-sites are, and what makes them different from regular content sites.

* Which businesses they work well for … and which ones they don’t.

* The right mindset to have when it comes to creating mini sites as part of your online business strategy.

* And the different tools you need to get started.

This was a great video, very informative and it did an excellent job of kicking things off.

Spend some time with this one and get familiar with it - some really good tips and tools you should know about - and more than enough to inspire you with your own website - or mini-sites program!
Its all good stuff ...

Here's that link again, I urge you to just go check them out - and remember, they're FREE!

http://www.minisiteprofitsexposed.com/?thankyou-page=40038

Whew! That was a lot of information, but I hope it helped you decide to check out "Michael Rasmussen's Mini Site Profits Exposed" video course. The course is absolutely free, so you have nothing to lose! Michael wants to show you that he will deliver you the absolute best education available anywhere, and he'll gladly do it for free... just to prove his point! So go ahead and check out Mini Site Profits Exposed right now, and see what all the fuss is about. I highly recommend that you upgrade to the deluxe course as well.

The final video in the deluxe pack, shows you

HOW TO MAKE MAXIMUM PROFITS FROM YOUR MINI SITE ***********************************************************
In this final deluxe video, Michael will reveal his best kept secrets for squeezing maximum profit out of any website. These are techniques that you have NOT seen before, so you'll want to pay extra close attention to this one. And if you've worked your way through the course and put in the effort, why wouldnt you want to make the maximum profits?

http://www.minisiteprofitsexposed.com/?thankyou-page=40038

I'll be back in a day or so with more 'useful' website stuff and a review on the other videos in the series ... have a fantastic marketing week ..... MYWW

Is anyone looking for you?

2007-05-30T01:28:00.000-07:00

The whole idea of an internet site, is to supply something you think people want to buy, use or read.
The first idea you had for your business was to sell what? and why?
Do you have an interest yourself? Do you use the product or the information you want to sell on your site yourself?
The reason for those questions is twofold.
To identify a need - is there a market for your product?
Who is your market? Who is looking for you?
If you have identified a need, then you need to identify the who?
Who is your target market?
Are they predominately children, adults, male or female, young or old, pet owners, home owners? etc and so it goes on.
There is a need to identify your target market so that you can market to them in a way they will connect with. Your site or your ads need to be seen where those people are most likely to look. Your website should look and feel like a website your market will identify with, so that you capture their attention the minute they click thru to your site. The words you use in your ads, and on your site should be words your market is familiar with and comfortable with.
This is another part of optimization you need to be aware of ..
How your site promotes the *image* of your product to the market you are targeting.
Think about that .. some examples are pretty obvious, pink and pretty for a girls site, young and hip for the tweenies, business-like if that is your market, strong and practical, no-nonsense stuff for the boys ...
We havent finished with optimization yet, not by a long shot, this was just something else to consider as we move along..
Did you play with the keyword tool? (on the link from last post) Type in your keywords one at a time, (and every variation of them you can think of) and write down (or cut and paste into a word doc) the responses.
Pick and choose the words and phrases that most particularly apply to your product or service. If you have your page titles organized, slot these lists, or individually, into their most relevant pages. These can be used on each page as part of your text. Weave your information around the most relevant words and phrases. Repeat them when you can, without making the text read *funny* (you know what I mean)
They can also be used in the MetaTags .. but more about them next time

Now you know what you want

2007-05-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

Now you have a greater focus for your site, you will need to make some decisions. What goes and what stays. What to keep as is, and what to keep, but change around.
Be clear here, you next stop may well be your webmaster, who charges you by the hour!
Make your list and check it twice ..
Expand what needs it, delete the rest.
Now, you need to be a somewhat aware of website optimization. If you have flash on your site, I recommend you get rid of it, or, if you absolutely have to keep it, make sure there is alternate text which will load beneath it, because the Search Engines cant read flash, it comes up as a blank for them, and you lose an opportunity to tell the SE's about your site. Graphics are the same, they need an underlying text that will mean something to the Search Engines, so think hard about which ones add to the opportunity to sell your site to the S.E's.
Your keywords, specifically chosen because they are the adjectives people will use when searching for your business, must be written into the script, your text. Weave them naturally into the story of your site, and mention them often. You should use a search tool and discover just how many times per month those words are searched for - and the variations of phrases people put together, see how many you can incorporate into your script but focus on what is really specific to your business. If at all possible, each page should have its own focus and keywords. Change them slightly for each page and dont forget the phrases. Imagine you are looking for your business, what adjectives would you type into the S.Engines? Now get creative and look outside the square .. what phrases can you expand to and create from those words? What combinations of keywords can you put together and still make good sense?
Search Engine Marketing, is when your site lists naturally (or organically) without the help of Pay-Per-click advertising. This should be the first listing goal of any website. To rank naturally for a set of keywords and phrases ...
I have added the link to a Search tool on this site, so follow the links and have some fun finding out who's googling what? And more importantly, is anyone looking for you??.. til next time .. MYWW

Link
https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

3rd Post. Back to the Beginning.

2007-04-22T07:05:00.000-07:00

Assuming that you already have a website, lets go back to the beginning.
What were your thoughts about your website, before you even put it together, did you have a clear picture at the start of what you wanted to achieve with it?
Was is to make money, sell stuff, create a long term business - or was it to inform people of your passion, your hobby, your likes and dislikes, your opinions? Or maybe it was to hook up with like-minded people?
Whatever the reason, you need to go back to those beginnings and see just how the website has shaped up.
Has it turned out the way you hoped? Is it anything like it?
Or maybe (and this happens quite often) the business / website sort of started to evolve and change along the way? Did it take on a life of its own and just become?
Did you lose site of what you really wanted and is this why its not really working for you?
Or maybe its just not a good fit now and you've lost the passion?
Whatever the reason, before you can go forward - you need to be very clear about the changes you need to make, so get out your pen and paper and take down a few notes.
Recall if you can, your first thoughts about your site, how it should look, the feel of it - friendly, chatty, newsy? Business like and informative? Lots of pictures showcasing and explaining your products?
Make a list and check it more than twice, re-visit the dream and the excitement you first had and get back some clarity.
The make a list of what the site is not achieving for you .. what's really wrong with it, from your perspective. then see how the two list's compare.
Then, make a third list - what you like about your site, what you want to keep and what needs to be changed, keep referring back to your first list, your vision for your website. This'll help keep you on track.
Until you are very clear about what you want on your site, and what you want it to achieve for you, it will be impossible to transfer that vision to your web developer.
You have some work to do before you can go forward, so lets get started ..
MYWW

Where to start?

2007-04-17T01:15:00.000-07:00

This is a biggie ... there are so many elements to a well functioning and productive business website it can be a bit hard to identify whats not really contributing, so lets start at some very easy stuff.
Get an objective friend to check over your site, preferably someone with some internet browsing experience, but not necessarily a techie.
Ask a for some feedback, such as
How fast did it load on your computer?
Were you able to see the whole page, did everything come up? (graphics, links etc)
On reading thru your site, were they able to navigate around it well (it would be good to ask them to find a few specifics on your site, something a few clicks away from the home page (but not listed on the nav bar) Could they find it easily? What problems were there?
Ask them to fill in the contact form and send it off to you - what did they get back? What information did your website receive?
Did they understand the purpose of the site? What you are selling, promoting, or informing them about?
Was the language, terminology easy to understand? Did you get your message across well, and what is the message your site is sending?
Did your friend find it interesting, boring, difficult to read, hard to understand?
Based on their response, we can go forward from there ..
Next time we will go over the specifics, one by one ...

An introduction to SEO

2007-04-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

An introduction to SEO - Search Engine Optimization. How to get your site up and running the way it should be - this blog is designed specifically to assist people to get the most out of their websites.

It takes time to get a website happening, deciding on a website / domain name and registering your url, are all the good names taken? Do we go .com or .com.au? Who to host with, go for a cheapie? find a biggie? a name we know? look for something Australian?
Lots to consider and a great deal of time and effort to boot.
You spend ages 'gathering your stuff' and getting it all together, what are we selling? a product? a service? information? What goes on the site? how much information? Uploading graphics, maybe finding a web designer, learning a whole new 'language', its not always as easy as some would have you believe.
Anyway, you've made the effort, spent the time and the money and developed a few grey hairs along the way. Then you wait, and wait, and wait ...
No traffic!... no business, no enquiries .. whats gone wrong?

This blog is designed to assist you in discovering what went wrong .. a few suggestions here, a tweak there, a change of focus, spruce up the copywriting .. all is not lost.
Make your website work! can help ... check back here for some good information, hints and tips to get it all happening .. questions? feel free to ask and we'll do what we can.
MYWW