- Aspects of Internet Marketing

Aspects of Internet Marketing

No matter what your business, Internet marketing should form part of your marketing

mix – how large a part will depend on your particular needs and budget. The tools you

use to develop your online presence and drive traffic to your website will also depend

on your particular business and target market demographics.

Internet marketing is a fast-changing industry that readily adapts to improvements in

technology. Therefore, there are always new marketing tools available to small

businesses (too many to list here). Below, we’ll briefly explain the most common

techniques used by beginners. Once you’ve learned the basics, we suggest that you

consult a professional to assess your business needs and take your strategy to the next

level.

Website Development & Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Designing and building a website is only one aspect of bringing your business online.

With billions of websites on the Internet, it’s just as important that you ensure people

can find your website. And, since most website traffic still comes from search engines

and directories – 98% of Internet users claim they use search engines regularly – you

may want to focus your initial web marketing efforts on search engine optimization.

Search engines such as Google and Yahoo index billions of web pages and rank them

according to complex algorithms that assess a page’s accessibility, its relevance based

on specific search terms or keywords, and importance indicated by the number of sites

that link to it.

Search engine optimization (SEO) refers to the work that is done to a website to ensure

it gets noticed and ranked highly by search engines. Ideally, you want to strive for a top

ten ranking, because studies have shown that most search engine users don’t scroll

past the first page of results.

Keep in mind, SEO is not an exact science, and as such, SEO specialists often use

slightly different methods. That said, generally, SEO includes:

· Building a website using “search engine friendly” coding techniques that

minimize the use of Flash and frames

· Researching appropriate search terms – called “keywords” or “keyword

phrases” – that fit the target market

· Incorporating keyword-rich content into a website’s domain name, meta tags,

title tags, alt tags, headings and overall content, and ensuring that content is

updated regularly.

· Submitting the website address to search engines

· Developing a reciprocal linking strategy with other websites to grow quality

inbound links to the site

Submitting your Site to Search Engines and Directories

The question is often asked: Do I have to submit my site to engines/directories for the

search engines to find me? The answer is, yes and no. Some engines will find and list

your site on their own, some require you to register, and others offer a combination of

both. Further, some registration procedures are free and some require that you pay to

be listed.

In short, there are two kinds of search engines out there.

1. Crawler-based search engines, like Google, are those that use automated,

computer generated indexing systems. These engines use software to “crawl”

your website, index relevant content and keywords, and follow links. The

software will look for patterns or repetition in your content in order to determine

the website’s purpose. These engines do not require you to do anything other

than upload your “optimized” website to the Internet and wait for them to find it.

Since it may take a few months for the engines to crawl your site naturally,

however, they also offer you the opportunity to submit your URL (website

address) in the hope of being ranked more quickly. Failing that, you can always

purchase paid placement in some engines such as Google and Overture.

2. Human-powered directories, like Yahoo’s Directory, are those that use

humans to index website listings. These engines are actually called directories

and require you to submit your URL and wait for the directory editors to assess

and index your site based on perceived relevancy. Sometimes this procedure is

free, and sometimes you have to pay a fee for the privilege of being reviewed.

Here is a list of the most popular search engines and directories you’ll want to consider:

· Google – www.google.ca/com

· Yahoo – www.yahoo.ca/com

· MSN – www.msn.com

· Teoma – www.teoma.com

· Overture – www.overture.com

· Open Directory – http://dmoz.org/

· AltaVista – www.altavista.com

· Inktomi – www.inktomi.com

Growing Inbound Links

It should be emphasized that the more quality inbound links your website has, the more

likely it is to be deemed “important” by the search engines. Therefore, a good SEO

package includes the development of a quality linking strategy. This is a technique that

connects your website to other relevant websites, through the placement of text-based

links.

To begin, consider linking with complementary businesses and industry associations.

This is as easy as sending out a personalized email requesting a link on another

website. Keep in mind, particularly for those just starting out, linking strategies are

usually reciprocal. So, be prepared to offer a link on your own site in exchange for the

link you hope to receive.

To learn more about SEO, linking strategies and submitting your site to search engines,

visit www.searchenginewatch.com

Online Advertising Models

In addition to optimizing your website and increasing your site traffic through search

engines, consider advertising on third-party websites and in search engines using a

combination of banner advertisements and text links.

· Graphical banner advertisements, pop-ups and text based ads are online

ads that are placed on third-party websites that link back to your website. The

ads are designed to encourage users to click through to your site to learn more

and, ultimately, to buy. These ads can be set up for a fee – pay-per-click, pay-

per-lead, pay-per-sale – or they can be part of a reciprocal ad exchange with an

online “partner,” where you place your partner’s ad on your website in

exchange for your partner doing the same.

· Paid advertising in search engines. Above, we mentioned briefly that some

search engines offer marketers the opportunity to buy guaranteed search

engine listings through the purchase of keywords. Google, for example, has a

paid solution called Adwords – think of it as pay-per-click advertising in its

simplest form. Google allows advertisers to bid for “sponsored links” – paid

listings across the top and down the right side of Google's search results – on a

per-bid basis. As an advertiser, you decide what keywords you want to “bid” on,

how much you are willing to pay per click back to your website, and how much

you are willing to pay in total per day – USD $1? $10? More? Less? It’s

completely up to you.

Paid search engine listings are a quick, cost-effective way to get your site into search

engines, without the wait associated with “natural” ranking.

Publishing on Third-Party Websites

Another, often overlooked, but cost-saving method of marketing your business online is

by publishing editorials in third-party e-zines, e-newsletters and on information-based

websites. Just as editorials in offline media can help position you as an expert in your

field and drive readers to your website, providing articles written (or ghost-written) by

you to targeted online media can also drive traffic to your website, often with no out-of-

pocket expense. Just remember to include a short biography that outlines what you do

and a link to your website at the bottom of each article you publish.

Permission Marketing Using Email

Permission-based email marketing can be a low-cost and very effective component of

your web marketing strategy. It can help to build a relationship between your business

and target market, and can drive traffic back to your website. Email marketing can

consist of direct email blasts and sales letters, personalized auto-responders, and/or

email newsletters.

If you have the budget and don’t have the time, you can certainly hire a freelancer or a

firm to conceptualize, develop and publish your email messages for you. Although, for

many small businesses, the costs associated with fully managed solutions are simply

too high. The advantage to email marketing is that you can choose a do-it-yourself

option, where you do all of the work, or part of it yourself, saving hundreds, even

thousands of dollars.

Self-Publishing Using Low-Cost Internet Tools

There are a number of very easy to use self-publishing solutions available to small

businesses. The costs of these tools are low – from USD $20 per month and up – and

they are usually offered at a monthly or per-1000 email rate.

The solutions are hosted entirely online, allowing you access from any computer

connected to the Internet. Further, they are designed for small business owners with

little technical knowledge. At a minimum, they offer a database, where you can house

and manage your email addresses, a selection of HTML templates for your email

messages, the ability to import your own templates, plain-text options, testing functions,

and added extras such as customizable auto-responders and forward-to-a-friend and

unsubscribe features.

You may even find an email publishing tool designed specifically for your industry. For

example, the real estate industry has a number of do-it-yourself and fully managed

email newsletter solutions available, some of which even include “canned” articles that

users can choose to include in their own newsletter.

Here are some popular self-publishing solutions to consider:

· Constant Contact – www.constantcontact.com

· MyMailOut.com – www.mymailout.com

· Topica – www.topica.com

· Microsoft – www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness

The Problem with Spam

It must also be noted that more and more email marketers are struggling with spam

filters, which are designed to protect email users from unscrupulous and unsolicited

advertising. The problem arises when spam filters do such a good job that they succeed

in filtering out legitimate marketing messages that email recipients have requested to

receive.

Unfortunately, as spam proliferates, as it undoubtedly will, the filters will only become

better, causing email marketers to scramble to devise new ways to get their messages

out to the public.

Ensuring High Delivery Rates

The easiest way to ensure that your emails will be delivered is to get permission from

your client base to market to them through email. Getting permission is critical,

particularly since new privacy legislation was introduced in 2004, which regulates how

businesses collect, store and use their customers’ personal information. This includes

email addresses.

Getting permission may mean asking in advance if you can send emails for a specific

purpose, and requesting that your email address be flagged as legitimate in the

recipient’s list to ensure your messages bypass any filters s/he may have installed.

Currently, it also seems that HTML emails are becoming caught in spam filters more

readily than plain-text emails. This may mean that a simple, plain-text email containing

a link to an online message is the most effective method for getting your message out.

Alternatively, you can test your email messages for deliverability using software such as

SpamCheck (http://spamcheck.sitesell.com) which checks your emails’ subject lines

and body copy for filter triggers.

To learn more about email marketing visit www.emailsherpa.com

Business Blogs

A blog or weblog is simply a web page that scrolls chronologically like a journal and

contains links to other websites of interest. Blogs, as creative online journals, have

been used by technical specialists for a number of years, but business blogs, or

b-blogs are just now making inroads into the mainstream. As an alternative, low-cost (or

even free) means of electronic communication, blogs can make up a significant part of

your overall marketing strategy. Although b-blogs carry an inherent marketing focus not

found in creative weblogs, their casual structure provides the opportunity to connect

with readers on a more immediate and personal level than traditional websites and

newsletters allow.

Since blogs are generally “do-it-yourself” solutions, they can simplify and speed up the

online publishing process, allowing users to disseminate information in the most timely

manner available.

Here is a list of websites where you can learn more about blogging:

· www.blogger.com

· www.bloglines.com

· www.spaces.msn.com

Affiliate/Referral Programs

Affiliate programs, also known as referral programs or partnership programs, involve

the use of affiliates to help market a website's products and services in return for a

payment for each sale, lead, action, or visitor generated. Amazon.com has created one

of the most sophisticated and successful affiliate programs on the Internet – a program

that has no doubt contributed to their high level of brand recognition online, and the

significant traffic and resulting revenue their site generates.

Costs

The costs to implement Internet marketing strategies can vary widely in the industry.

They depend on the particular technique you choose, and the professional you choose

to implement it. With a little reading, and a basic understanding of websites and the

Internet, you may be able to implement some of these techniques on your own. Or, you

may find a freelance marketer or web designer/developer who can implement some of

the techniques mentioned above for $25 to $75 per hour, with approximately ten hours

required to start.

Alternatively, you may find Internet marketing firms that charge “project rates” rates

from $2,500 to $25,000. Therefore, it’s very important to shop around. Also, keep in

mind that most Internet marketing techniques require ongoing maintenance and these

costs should be addressed in your marketing budget.

The Importance of Offline Marketing to Drive Traffic Online

Never underestimate the value of using low-cost, offline marketing techniques to

encourage people to visit your website. Ensure your website address is clearly listed on

all of your marketing materials – that is, your business card, brochure, published

articles, print advertisements, sandwich boards, your vehicle (if you use it for business),

and so on. And, don’t be afraid to get creative with your offline marketing strategies.

Imaginative promotional techniques can be low-cost, yet attention getting ways to drive

traffic to your website.

Examples

Here are some examples of low-cost offline marketing techniques that can drive

traffic to a website:

1. A tree topping company uses a sandwich board on site which says:

Arborists working above. Ever wonder how we top the trees without killing

them… or you? Our methods are safe and environmentally friendly. Visit our

website to learn more.

2. A retail beachwear company offers a free pair of brightly colored flip-flops

with every purchase over $100 during the month of December. The sole of

the flip-flops are printed with the company’s name and website address.

3. A baking company includes a coupon in each $30 tin of cookies for 10% off

a future purchase and directs readers to their new online menu.