Those enterprising professionals who took to the Internet early
implemented a variety of formats for adapting a real-world, largely
paper-based industry to the new structures offered online. Some
succeeded with their initial business plans, while others were less
fortunate. No business anywhere succeeds without effective marketing
tactics, and a business based in cyberspace stands even less of a chance
if it doesn't follow the rules for effective Internet marketing.
Benefits of E-mail Marketing
E-mail
marketing is by far the most cost-effective and rapid method for
marketing your Web site online. Unfortunately, it also introduces the
most potential danger. [see note below...]
Best practices indicate
that it is unwise to send a large number of e-mail messages en masse
unless the recipients specifically give you permission to do so.
Permission-based e-mail marketing is called "opt-in e-mail."
The
"subject line" is the most important element of an e-mail announcing
your Web site and business services. It's equivalent to the headline in a
print advertisement. The subject line should be compelling and entice
the reader to open the e-mail in addition to conveying your message. At
the same time, for many SPAM identification software applications, the
subject line plays an important role in deciding whether the email will
be delivered to the recipient's mailbox. Careful attention should be
paid to the composition of the subject line. Avoiding words such as
'FREE' and 'GUARANTEED' and not over-using the exclamation mark can make
a big difference.
Another key component of any e-mail
advertisement is the signature, which comprises about four lines at the
end of your message and should include your Web site address. Including
this address dramatically increases the visibility and accessibility to
your site when it is added automatically to every e-mail you send.
Additionally, you should put your company name, phone number and
physical mailing address for further communications.
E-mail
marketing also provides speedy results. It enables you to alter your
approach - and even try another campaign - in a fraction of the time it
takes to complete conventional marketing pieces like print ads or direct
mail. If you intend to use e-mail extensively, it's a good idea to use a
software tool like Goldmine, PointofMail, or Active Campaign to track
and manage your results.
It is also beneficial to use different
e-mail addresses on each of your marketing materials, as well as on your
Web site. For example, use yourname@ yoursite.com exclusively on your
Web site, use info@ yoursite.com on your letterhead, and use realestate@
yoursite.com on your business cards. That way, when you receive an
e-mail at one of those addresses, you can track where the sender, or
lead, got your e-mail address.
Please note: E-mail
marketing is subject to a new federal law called the CAN_SPAM ACT OF
2003 (15 U.S.C.S. @ 7701, et seq.), which took effect January 1, 2004.
Before you use e-mail as part of your marketing program, please make
sure you read and comply with this law.
Using Banner Advertising and Link Exchanges
Banners
and link exchanges are cooperative efforts between two or more Web
sites that are promoting each other. Keep in mind, there are several
different types of banner programs:
Reciprocal links are swapped
between your site and another so that you can share traffic. A
reciprocal link exchange is a great way to get visitors to your site
from non-competing professionals such as bankers, attorneys, real estate
brokers, and financial planners. Contact a few businesses and suggest
to them that you place your link on their site and offer to place their
link on your site. As an added benefit, the call provides an excellent
opportunity to make contact with these professionals initially. Later,
you can initiate conversations in which referrals for your companies
services are exchanged.
Affiliate banners can be placed on your
site, and the affiliate will pay you a commission if a visitor clicks
through and makes a purchase at the affiliate's site. There are many
options at fastclick, tribalfusion or clickbank
Achieving Rank on Search Engines
Each
area of Internet marketing is unique. Because each business is
different, you must be creative and use your Web site to market to areas
you feel will make your business flourish. Even the method you use to
submit your site to search engines will differ depending on your goals.
Modern
search engines have acquired the ability to "read" Web sites, just like
people searching the Internet. The obvious difference is that these
"readers" are computer robots that roam online, cataloging Web sites
into specific categories.
In addition to reading Web sites, these
robots can read words - or "metatags" - that people cannot see on most
Web sites. Metatags are the words that are important in locating your
Web site when searching the Internet and are the title and description
that you find in the search results on Google, Yahoo!, MSN and other
search engines for a particular search query.
Metatags were
originally created to help search engines find important information
about your page that might otherwise have been difficult to determine
quickly, such as related keywords or a description of the page itself.
Many
people believe that accurate metatags will guarantee a good listing in
the search engines, but that is not entirely correct. While metatags
usually are part of a well-optimized page, they are not the end-all,
be-all. Early in the Internet's evolution, Web sites were able to get
great list placement from optimizing only their metatags, but the
increasing competition for search engine listings eventually prompted
many people to "spam" the search engines with keyword-stuffed metatags.
The result is that the engines have changed what they look at when they
rank a Web page.
While there are two metatags that can help your
search engine listings - meta keywords and meta description - search
engines now usually look at a combination of elements to determine
listings. And some search engines don't look at metatags at all! For
example, search engine robots also look at the number of outside sites
that link to your site - a figure commonly known as the popularity
ranking. What this means is that you should have a combination of
elements implemented on your page. Search Engines are constantly
evolving and never disclose exactly what these elements might be, but a
well built site with lots of very relevant content is always a good
start.
Google, widely acknowledged as the top search engine, has
been stepping up enforcement of its "rules" for appearing on its result
lists since 2001, according to a recent article in The Wall Street
Journal. It warned Webmasters that using trickery could get their sites
kicked out of the Google index and provided a list of forbidden
activities. Matt Cutts, a Google software engineer, says that the rules
are clear and that it's better to follow them than to try to get a
problem fixed after a site has been penalized. "We want to return the
most relevant pages we can," Cutts said. "The best way for a site owner
to do that is follow our guidelines." A listing of these guidelines
along with some frequently asked questions can be found at: http://www.google.com/intl/en/webmasters/.
Online Articles Can Help You Improve Your Ranking
Most
hosting companies offer easy ways to add and change their Web sites'
metatags. In your site there are two distinct areas that house metatags.
Your description tag and keyvords should be added; then they can be
changed periodically, depending on your results. Additonally, on each of
your pages, you can specify a title tag, description, and meta keywords
specific to that page.
Title tag words appear in the upper left
of a Web browser program (the title bar), outside of the page and above
the function buttons and file menus. These words are critical because
most engines and directories place a high level of importance on
keywords that are found in your title tag. The title tag is also what
the search engines usually use for the title of your listing in the
search results. We recommend that your title tag be between 25-75
characters, including spaces. The length that different search engines
accept varies, but as long as you keep within this limit you should be
fine. Include prominent key words and your company name in your title
tag.
The description tag is hidden within your site but is equally
important. Some search engines display the description tag below your
site address when your site is a match for a search. Make sure you
accurately describe the content of your page while trying to entice
visitors to click on your listing. Include three to four of your most
important keyword phrases, especially those used in your title tag and
page copy. Try to have your most important keywords appear at the
beginning of your description; that way search engines won't cut off
your keywords. This technique often brings better results.
Keywords
should be words or phrases that a client might use to search for your
site. The more specific they are the better. Keywords also are crucial
because they are compared with the readable copy in your Web site, and
they can be revised as often as you like. Static sites that sit for
years without changes typically don't rank very well in search listings.
The Wait for a Listing
