The World Business

Archive for September, 2010

The traffic statistics page for Robert’s new small business web site starts to load. He scrolls down the page, dismayed. Just one or two visitors daily. Robert sits back and sighs. Most were probably curious friends and family.

When his internet-savvy nephew suggested promoting his small business on the Internet, Robert designed a simple but attractive five-page small business web site. He added meta-tags and keywords, and waited for the search engines.

Robert wonders, “What now?”

Robert’s experience is common among small businesses getting started on the Internet. He has just faced the first big lesson for a small business web site: the web site is not enough. Unlike the weekly advertisement Robert places in the local paper, he needs to promote the web site itself. In a sense, he needs to advertise the advertisement.

What Robert doesn’t realize is that he already has the most valuable asset a small business can leverage online — knowledge and experience. Anyone who runs a small business off-line is an expert on something that other people would like to know about. Writing articles can turn that knowledge into targeted traffic. Article writing is the ideal free method for a small business to promote itself on the Internet.

Every small business has expertise it can share in 500-1,000 word bites. A landscaper could write about the uses for different kinds of turf grass. A window installer can describe new types of energy-efficient windows. A home cleaning service can provide cleaning tips.

Customers ask Robert five questions repeatedly. He can easily write five simple articles to answer them. Then, he just needs to add a “resource box” which advertises and links to his web site.

Robert can also include a few of his web site’s keywords in each article, and, if possible, in his resource box. Robert’s business depends on local customers. Including his city’s name in anecdotes within the articles, or in the resource box, can help his articles to appear in local searches for that city.

Robert would start by uploading his article to a new web page. This gives visitors more to read — and starts to establish Robert as an expert. More importantly, the article becomes “spider bait” for the content-loving search engines to find and index.

He could stop there, but his new article gives him a more valuable opportunity to promote his site.

Next, Robert can offer his article to other web sites. Most article directories accept submissions of articles. They offer those articles for others to use in newsletters or on web sites. A quick search for “article directory” will yield a sizable list of sites that accept article submissions.

Prepared, with a simple text file ready to copy and paste, it takes just minutes to submit an article to an article directory site. Once posted, the article provides a link to Robert’s site. Other webmasters may reprint his article, also linking to his site.

Article marketing is viral, multiplying the links — and visitors — to the author’s site each time an article is republished. Just one popular article can attract a growing number of information-hungry visitors as the article spreads across the Internet.

Many article directories also include new articles in RSS feeds and e-mail announcements to their lists. Robert doesn’t even need his own e-mail list or feed to advertise his web site to readers of his article.

Finally, if Robert has more time, he can search for “ezine directories” to find newsletters that accept articles and offer his article directly to them. If he is willing to spend some money, he could use article submission services.

Over time, the growing number of links to a web site can improve its “link popularity” and Page Rank. As the site rises in the search engine rankings, it attracts even more visitors.

Articles spread those all-important links across the Internet without the tedious process of sending out link exchange requests (often declined or ignored). Better still, webmasters who reprint articles rarely ask for reciprocal links back to their own sites.

The benefit of writing an article builds over time, yet articles require no ongoing maintenance once they are written and submitted. Other options like newsletters, blogs, and forums can demand more upkeep than a small business can afford.

Best of all, articles can remain up on web sites indefinitely, driving free traffic immediately — and long-term. Most other kinds of advertising stay posted only as long as they are paid for. An article’s “views,” “reprints,” and “click-throughs” can increase — without increasing advertising costs.

Writing articles is a powerful way to leverage a small business’ expertise, transforming it into traffic. The currency of the Internet, information, makes advertising a small business web site affordable. Promoting with articles can jump-start the online presence of a small business and continue to market it for a long time to come.

(c) 2006 Wendy Maki
May be reprinted in email newsletters and on web sites. Must be unedited and include the resource box. All other rights reserved.

It is always good for any company to get associate with Online Marketing Company. There are infinite number of online marketing companies on the world wide web. However, it is not so easy to find the right and the most suitable one which online companies actually need.

Before getting in touch with an online marketing company, website owners should examine its expectations perfectly. An online marketing company does a lot of work. These companies are totally responsible in doing the necessary research and analysis so that they can identify the targeted customers platforms for a company. And then they should try through various techniques to turn these identified customers into the real customers.

These online marketing companies also work on the several ways to retain the real customers. However, the chief role that marketing companies play involves increasing the turnover rate as well as the average statistical purchase value while keeping the target customers well informed about new arriving products, services, etc.

Such online marketing companies provide sources for all of the website owner’s internet marketing requirements including: website design, web development, search engine optimisation, email marketing, blogs & website hosting. If a website owner do not have potential websites to promote its businesses, then he can get them accomplished by online marketing companies as well.

These companies are experts in developing powerful websites which can increase the businesses of the clients. Some of the important services provided by these agencies are : Search Marketing, Email Marketing, Banner Advertising, Online Media, Web Promotion, Viral & Social Network Marketing. Hence, these are some the tips which are helpful in choosing the right online marketing agency.

Publicity of the website for the promotion of businesses is an indispensable characteristics for the growth of revenues. It is the online marketing companies which bring customers to the website. So, most of the online companies spend much of money for the purpose of publicity. In the past, even merchants or traders used to place advertisement boards in the public places to catch more and more customers. Hence, it is always good to get in touch with right and experience online marketing companies.

No matter what job you get into, you are going to need some training and advice when first starting out. You cannot expect to go into a job and know everything right off of the bat. The same can be said about the internet; you have to learn how to make money online in order to succeed. So who can you turn to?

There are a number of people that can help you learn how to make money online. If you are joining an internet program, you obviously want to look at the person that signed you up or whoever is in charge of the program. They will be able to provide you with the tools needed to succeed.

Within this program, you can also look to others who are involved with the program. Sometimes you can learn everything you need to know from someone who has been a member of the program for a few years.

If you are starting your own web site and want to learn how to make money online, there are a few things you can do. First, take the time to post in forums and talk to others within your niche. While the internet is extremely competitive, you will be amazed at how many people are willing to offer you support and advice. Posting in forums allows you to see what other people are talking about while giving you the chance to have your questions answered as well.

In addition to posting in forums, go to article directories and read the different articles that have been submitted. Articles can provide you with some tremendous tips and information to help you get started on the right track. In addition, you will find that most article directories have thousands of articles for you to view without spending a penny. And because they are organized by specific categories and sub-categories, you can quickly find what you are looking for and learn the information you need.

The last place to learn how to make money online if you are starting your own business is e-books. You will have to purchase most e-books, but there are a number of different books that can act as a training guide for you. No matter what type of business you are getting into, you will find a book that is there to help train you and feed you the information you need to succeed.

You cannot expect to jump on the internet and get rich immediately. It takes a great deal of time and patience. In addition to this, you have to be willing to go out and learn from the pros. Talk to as many people as you can who have been in your niche before so you can learn what it takes to succeed online. Not only will you pick up useful information, but you will be hanging around with people who have a positive mindset. Surrounding yourself with positive successful people can help you learn how to make money online.

You may have a fantastic business model, a stunning website, and an incredible product, but you will not find success for your Internet business without business advertising. You need customers to make money. With an Internet business, traffic equals customers and the best way to achieve traffic is with some simple business advertising. When undertaking some Internet business advertising, consider the following tactics that offer you free ways to ensure plenty of qualified traffic visits your business website.

Article Marketing

An effective form of free business advertising, article marketing only costs you the time it takes you to write articles and submit them to free article directories, like Ezine Articles. Make sure you read the article submission requirements for each article directory because they vary. Some directories allow you to include affiliate links in your author signature, while others only allow direct links to your website.

When writing articles, make sure you focus them around a keyword phrase that is relevant to your business so Internet searchers can easily find your article. When people read the article online, they will be more inclined to click the link you provide if the keyword is focused, repeated several times throughout the article, and relevant to your website.

Do not overstuff your articles with keywords as most readers will find this annoying, leading them to click away from your article without reading it entirely. Make sure your articles are informative and teach something to the reader. Good, well written, educational, and keyword focused articles will bring plenty of visitors to your website.

Forum Marketing

Another popular form of free Internet business advertising is forum marketing. To participate in forum marketing, simply find forums in similar topics to your website and post questions then answer the questions of others. Include a link to your website in your signature line.

Make sure you post legitimate questions and answer the questions of others effectively. Do not use forums to post an advertisement for your website. Keep your website in the signature line and put forth valuable keyword phrase focused information in forums. After all, most people come to a forum to ask a question because they need a problem solved. If you post relevant, helpful information, you will definitely receive visitors to your website.

Blogging

The third form of free Internet business advertising is starting your own blog. You can start a blog for free by going to Blogger or WordPress. A blog allows you to post links to your website or affiliate program along with providing information, funny stories, product reviews, and more to your readers. Blogs allow you to build a long list of readers who will grow to trust your opinion and enjoy your writing. As with keyword articles and forum postings, make sure you include keyword phrases in your blog posts along with a signature link to your main website or affiliate program.

While it may take a little time to take advantage of these free Internet business advertising tactics, it is well worth it in the end. Make time every day to accomplish at least one type of free Internet business advertising and your website will quickly be on its way to success.