Posted by Patrick Murphy on Mon, Mar 01, 2010
Ok Internet marketing goals really I have a web site is that not enough? Not really everything needs directions regardless if it is your website or your business, it needs goals. So does your website or online prolife and what it needs is some Internet marketing goals. It is essential to set your internet marketing goals and define who your target market is. Because without any clear understanding of what you want to achieve from your website and who you want to achieve it with your internet marketing will not be focused and will not deliver the results you were looking for.
While your internet marketing goals could be as simple as increase traffic, increase conversion and bring repeat traffic back to your website, what else can you add to your internet marketing strategy? Here are a few other ideas you should consider.
1: Increase your company or brand awareness. Your website presence can be spread though the internet by your content and your social media network. By using this network you can quickly increase the public perception of your company and develop uniqueness that makes if distinct and stand out from others.
2: Build a reputation. Your internet marketing goals should seek ways to influence the way people experience and perceives your brand. This could be monitoring social media or forums to see what people are saying about your brand and your website.
3: SEO improvements. This one should be part of any internet marketing plan and regardless of your goals. Your goals should cover general increase in SEO improvement and number of inbound links. Try to create content that people want to link to and ensure that the pages our optimized from a SEO point of view.
By having distinctive internet marketing goals allows you to build campaigns that target and fulfil your internet marketing goals. For example run a link building campaign maybe through social media while at the same time go through your current website with a view of optimizing your website for relevant keywords.
Simple as 1,2,3?
So to help you build your own Inbound Marketing Goals. SiliconCloud are running a webinar next week on "How to Googlize your Business". Since Google is top website in the world we will go through what you can learn from Google and their website for your own business advantage.
Click here to register Internet Marketing Goals
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Sun, Feb 28, 2010
Before we start building your Inbound Marketing Plan, what is
Inbound Marketing? Inbound marketing is an overall strategy for drawing your target market to you rather than the traditional method of outbound marketing such as email marketing, telemarketing etc.
An Inbound marketing plan is the strategy that integrates various online resources and social media used together for a common goal for you and your company getting found online. The goal of your Inbound Marketing plan is to establish your company or business as the market leaders for the goods or services that you offer for your target market. The Lego pieces for your Inbound Marketing plan should be your website, your blog, social media, search engine optimization and link building or actually anything that can contribute to your online profile.
To help you build your Lego Inbound Marketing Plan, here are a few tips to start with.
1: Select your keywords. Try to identify the most valuable keywords that apply to the services or goods that you offer.
2: Develop your content or blogs specifically around your chosen keywords. Your keywords should be able to give you some guidance as what to write.
3: Try to consider a framework or network to distribute your relevant content that is optimized for your keywords. You should consider a Facebook fan page, Twitter or Linkedin
4: Try to keep it fresh, constantly develop new and fresh content that is optimized for your keywords.
These tips are only the foundations for you Lego Inbound Marketing Plan. While this might seem overwhelming at first so concentrate on the first parts and build from there according to your time and resources. With a correct Inbound Marketing Plan you will be amazed at what a couple of months of devoted time and effort will produce. Some say that Inbound Marketing can be the missing link to successfully using the Internet and Social Media to build your business.
What do you think?
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Mon, Feb 22, 2010
There seems to be an influx of people opening their own businesses, from consulting to project management, to aspired dreams. This is no surprise due to the rise in unemployment over the past year. These people have a dream, they see an opportunity and they believe enough to go out and market themselves. What surprises me is the lack of research or planning that goes into it. The time seems to be spent designing personalized websites, creating fancy business cards; essentially doing all the things a professional company would do to create a business, EXCEPT develop an internet marketing strategy. The planning seems to stop at developing the website in hopes that people will find them and their business will start to develop.
I spoke to three different people this past weekend who all told me they were venturing off on their own and opening a project management company. When asked how they are going to market themselves, I was left with the simple answer, ‘I have a guy developing my website' but no Internet Marketing Strategy.
There is a lot of noise out there and a lot to swallow when it comes to internet marketing or inbound marketing. The concept seems fairly new for many businesses. They are familiar with SEO and social media, and blogging, but hardly do I find anyone use the term internet marketing as an all-encompassing marketing strategy.
Every part of internet marketing is as important as the next but without the right tools, knowledge, and visibility, it's difficult to take it all in. I hear many that want to know how to get more involved in social media but don't have the content to promote themselves. I hear many companies talk about SEO and optimizing their site but paying someone to do it for them.
My advice to those starting a new business is to develop an internet marketing strategy. Do some research but remember that there is only so much you can read and analyze. At some point you need to just jump in.
1. Build a great website! Simple, easy to navigate, and content rich.
2. Use the right tools to optimize your site where you have complete control and visibility into the content that's going into your website.
3. Create a blog that speaks about your experience, you knowledge, and your expertise but also optimized to drive traffic to your site.
4. Promote your content through social media but remember to listen more than you speak.
5. Analyze everything. Analyze, analyze, analyze.
If you're starting a new business and are looking for a great internet marketing strategy, join us on this free webcast on how to build your brand with social media.
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Wed, Feb 03, 2010
No matter the person or their location. They all start searching the same, with a keyword or keyphase. If you can understand their behaviour then you can build out your keywords to attract more visitors to your website.
The journey people take when searching is generally starts with browsing followed by researching and ending with completing.
Considering you were looking for a restaurant, most likely you might start out with a relatively short, generic phrase such as "Restaurant" and then gradually refine it the more you search. So you could start with ""Restaurant New York" and end up with "Pizza Restaurant Manhattan". The more we refine our search we are likely to use more specific keywords and use longer phrases.
As people make their searches more and more specific through the search or buying process, the numbers of people that are these search terms will naturally decreases.
This is some part the challenge of internet marketing. As highly defined phrases indicate the searchers intent to purchase. While the search volume on these keyphrases is likely to be lower, so if we only target these keywords to gain visibility generally we will often not get the volume of sales we are looking for.
As people are becoming more aware or familiar with online searching there is a trend for people to use longer 3 and 4 word phrases.
Over half of people searching are now using keywords that are 3 words or longer. This shows the importance of understanding how people search and your keyphrase analysis.
So have you reviewed your keywords to assess the number of 3 words or longer that you are using?
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Sat, Jan 23, 2010
Since we were kids, we always wanted to be on top. That is no difference for you or your business in search engines. Everyone wants to type in a keyphase or term and see their company ranked first on the first page of Google, so how does that happen?
The only people that can truly answer that question are a limited number of computer engineers that work for the search engine companies. But maybe we can learn from the important factors that do determine your position in the listings and add your inbound marketing strategy.
Regardless of the website or key term it starts with the search engine's ranking algorithm. When a search query is entered into the search engine, an algorithm uses rules to identify and determine the most relevant pages or websites, based on their content and its context which can be indicated by links from other website and pages on those sites.
The key ranking factors to be successful in appearing on page one and to have a successful inbound marking campaign are:
1: As with everything, it starts with a plan and a strategy.
2: Index inclusion and coverage
3: On-page optimization
4: Link Building
5: SEO Process
6: Your conversion efficiency
We will go through these 6 points of days over the next few weeks in our blog, so you can rest on the seventh and see the traffic on your site. But I can't stress the importance of the first point enough if you are to succeed with any internet or inbound marketing. Remember "Plan to fail, Fail to plan".
So at SiliconCloud we understand the pressure to get found on Google or any search engine as part of your inbound market strategy that is why next week we are running a free webinar for anyone on How to Get Found on Google and market your business.
We will cover the following topics:
• How to find relevant keywords that will attract potential customers
• Tools to create and optimize keyword-rich content that is found search engines
• How to track your competitors' search engine performance and how to outrank them
• How to optimize every page of your website and track your performance over time
Register for "How to get found on Google"
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Fri, Jan 22, 2010
Fine, I get that I need to be found on when people are searching for the products or services that I am offering. And I also understand that the keywords or search terms is where is starts. But which search engines do I need to be visible for a successful Inbound Marketing Strategy?
While there are still some companies that have provide services to have you or your business listed search engines. This auto submission can sometimes actually harm your rankings of placement in those search engines.
In most European counties and the US the search engine of choice is still Google so best practice would be to aim your resources and time on Google. If you look at the latest figures released from comScore, Google's sites accounted for over 65% of searches.
However, in many non western countries Google is not the dominating force. For example in Russia Yandex is the search engine of choice, with Baidu in China and Naver in South Korea.
How much traffic can you expect? If you look at the US traffic, Americans preformed over 14.5 Billion searches in December which was up by 2% on the previous month which would be due to seasonal changes. I remember a report that Yahoo produced which showed that people searched more when it rained....
I had a play around in the Goolge traffic estimator for "ERP" search term. The findings are below. What I did realise when looking through the search volume and estimate clicks is that completing keyphase analysis and demand analysis is an essential planning activity for internet or inbound marketing.
So at SiliconCloud we understand the pressure to get found on Google as part of your inbound market strategy along with twitter that is why next week we are running a free webinar for anyone on How to Get Found on Google and market your business.
We will cover the following topics:
- How to find relevant keywords that will attract potential customers
- Tools to create and optimize keyword-rich content that is found search engines
- How to track your competitors' search engine performance and how to outrank them
- How to optimize every page of your website and track your performance over time
Register for "How to get found on Google"
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Wed, Jan 13, 2010
The first step of any effective internet marketing strategy is to find and sell to you target market. With the current state of the business and the economy, the need to have a well-defined target market is more important than ever. No business can afford to target every business or person. It is possible for businesses to effectively compete with large companies by targeting a niche market that is suited to their offering.
By targeting a niche or a specific market does not mean that your business has to exclude businesses or people that do not fit your criteria. By having a target market allows your business you to focus your resources on a specific market that is more likely to buy or engage with you than your competitors. Overall it is more efficient, effective and affordable way to engage with potential clients and generate business.
Here are some guidelines or tips to help you define your target market
1: Who is your current customer base
By understanding who are your current customers and why they buy from you is the first step in defining your niche market. What are their common characteristics, which ones generate a higher percentage of business? By finding out this information you can profile business or people that are similar and would also benefit from your product or service.
2 Who are your competitors
Every company has a unique set of strengths, and it's critical that you determine yours, as well as your competitors'. By looking at how your strengths stack up against your competitors' weaknesses should suggests ways or profiles on how to take advantage of areas that your competitors are overlooking.
3 What is your offering
Start by listings what are the main features and benefits of your offering. Nest you your lists make a list of the people of business that have a needs or a desire for that benefit that your offering fulfills. A unique benefit of the product is the core driving principle behind any successful product or service. If you find that there are a lot of similar products or services with the same benefit it will reduce your chances for succeeding.
4 Who is your target market
Analyze the demographics of the people who have a need for your service or products. Where do they live? Do they purchase mostly online or in a physical store? Are they affluent? What classification do they fall into, such as artists, laborers, business owners, etc? And what gender are they? This will be particularly important in how you design your advertisements and targeting strategy.
5 Is it right
Do you have viable target marketing, is it actually worthwhile to market to these people. Can your target market be easily reached, are their enough to support your business or even can they afford your offering.
Figuring out your target market may take time but once you figure it out it is easier to build an Interment marketing strategy around what social media you can use to engage and what message sits best.
What is your view is there anything else you should include in defining your target marketing?
To help you along the way we at SiliconCloud would like to offer you a free 30 point review on your Internet Marketing capabilities. We analyse and measure the marketing effectiveness of your social media presence and website. We incorporate things like website traffic, SEO, social popularity and other technical factors. We also provide some basic advice on how your website can be improved from a marketing perspective.
Request your free 30 point report
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Mon, Jan 11, 2010
Everyone is saying that Social Media is like the party that never ends. So where are these parties and with so many to pick from which are the best that suit you and your company?
If you are limiting your company's presence to advertising and blogging then you are missing out on much more potential. The Internet provides powerful networking opportunities that will allow you to target your audience by engaging with the social networks. Try to take advantage of these tools by asserting your company's presence online and reaching more potential customers.
So what are the online networking communities as a company or as an individual you can use to take advantage for opportunities, promotions and more.
Linkedin
With more than 45 million users representing 150 industries around the world, LinkedIn is a fast-growing professional networking site that allows members to create business contacts, search for jobs, and find potential clients. Individuals have the ability to create their own professional profile that can be viewed by others in their network, and also view the profiles of their own contacts.
Facebook
Facebook is the world's largest social network, with over 350 million users. Facebook is a tool (a social utility, as they would say) for connecting people with those around them. Like with any social media tool, businesses have an opportunity to use Facebook to expand their online footprint and engage with customers directly.
XING
XING is the leading European network for business contacts. Far more than a directory of business contacts, XING makes your professional network an active part of your life, enabling members to discover professional people, opportunities and privileges through its unique discovery capability and advanced contact management tools.
Ecademy
Ecademy is a Social Network for Business People founded in 1998 now with over 300,000 users of the site each month. Ecademy is unique as business people connect both online on the web site and offline at networking events and 1-2-1 meetings.
Network for Professionals
Networking For Professionals is a dynamic business networking organization that powerfully combines online business networking and real life events. Network for Professionals puts you in touch with professionals online and face-to-face, expanding your business opportunities and accelerating the way you network.
These are five that I have picked what other "parties" would you suggest?
At SiliconCloud we understand the importance of Internet Marketing and Social Media in today's business environment. This week we are running a free webinar for anyone on how to use Social Media for Lead Generation.
Covering areas such as:
How to incorporate social media into your overall marketing strategy
How to attract more website visitors from social media sites
How to leverage a social media community to share and promote your content
How to convert social media visitors into leads and customers
While SiliconCloud are partners for HubSpot this will not be technology focused. So anyone can register....
Register at Social Media for Lead Generation
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Thu, Jan 07, 2010
Many businesses have the view that their overall marketing plan can simply include an online component. The internet and internet marketing is an entirely new way of doing business. It needs and deserves a separate marketing plan. An Internet marketing plan done correctly is your compass that points you in the right direction to succeed.
Here are a few items that your Internet Marketing plan should cover.
Platform
Choose your website platform so your content is well organized, accessible both for users and search engines. Make it as easy as possible for your content to be shared by your visitors to other potential visitors.
Keywords
Perform thorough keyword research and decide on the keywords you will target to bring organic traffic. Once you have your keywords then you can perform on-page optimization using those keywords.
Content
Content should be under the control of someone who has a passion for writing and the market you operate in. To help your ranking with search engines and generate traffic you need to provide good content that is better than your competition.
Links
Link popularity is one of the major components to achieving high search engine rankings. The major search engines care more about who is linking to whom than they do about what content you have on your site. The popularity and theme of a linking site, where they place your link, and what words they use to describe your site can have a dramatic effect on what keywords a search engine chooses to rank you for. So generate new ideas and build a comprehensive list of different ways to attract incoming links.
Social Media
Successful social media marketing programs involve listening and participation. That participation centres on giving value before expecting anything in return. This is not "sales" as you know it. But companies can definitely increase sales as a result.
To help you along the way we at SiliconCloud would like to offer you a free 30 point review on your Internet Marketing capabilities. We analyse and measure the marketing effectiveness of your social media presence and website. We incorporate things like website traffic, SEO, social popularity and other technical factors. We also provide some basic advice on how your website can be improved from a marketing perspective.
Request your free 30 point report
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Wed, Jan 06, 2010
Internet Marketing is the marketing is your products or services using the internet. You should start considering Internet Marketing for the global audience and lower costs. Internet marketing helps add potential customers and increase the number of quality leads. Most business can adopt Internet marketing and advertising strategies to generate better business now and for the future.
Before jumping straight into Internet Marketing you should consider these 5 things before hand and this will allow you to develop an online presence that will meet your business goals and long term strategy.
Who is your target audience?
Your website can give people access to information at their convenience. By knowing who your target market is a crucial step that should be clearly defined so you can develop your site content and design. The better you know on who your audience is and what they expect from visiting your site, the more relevant you can make your site.
What is the goal of your website?
Many businesses have a site because everyone else has a website. If this is your reason then you need to relook at what your website can offer your target market and add true value. There are many reasons for building a website or an online presence that compliments or enhances your existing offline presence. There are many reasons why your business could and should have a presence on the web. However, the only ones that should matter are those that are customer-focused.
What does your target market expect from your site?
Beyond the basics of ease of use and relevant information your target market will want to be entertained by your website. Any user regardless of their market or sector will be dissatisfied if your website does not meet their expectations. The expectations will vary from person to person, but if you have defined your target audience you will be able to meet your visitors' expectations in both content and design of your website.
What impression do you want your visitor to leave with?
Ask yourself what it is that you want your visitors to leave with and then consider whether you can address those needs with a focus on content or on design of the site. Most likely you will want to provide a combination of rich content that helps satisfy customer needs complemented by a good website design that allows the user to find the information or conduct the transaction quickly and easily.
And finally why should they return to your site?
Is there any good reason that a visitor should bookmark your site so that he will return again? If not, what needs to be improved with your site that will encourage repeat visits? Regardless on your reasons for creating a website, if it is not drawing people back then your efforts are wasted. By asking yourself, "Why should someone return to my site?" you are can force yourself to take a hard look at your website and the justification for the investment.
So in summary by determining what it is that is of value to your target audience will be the cornerstone of your web activities and internet marketing
Here are two free offers to help with your introduction into Internet Marketing.
1: To help you along the way we at SiliconCloud would like to offer you a free 30 point review on your Inbound Marketing capabilities. We analyse and measure the marketing effectiveness of your social media presence and website. We incorporate things like website traffic, SEO, social popularity and other technical factors. We also provide some basic advice on how your website can be improved from a marketing perspective.
Request your free 30 point report
2: Register for our free webinar on how to use Social Media for Lead Generation.
Covering areas such as:
How to incorporate social media into your overall marketing strategy
How to attract more website visitors from social media sites
How to leverage a social media community to share and promote your content
How to convert social media visitors into leads and customers
Register at Social Media for Lead Generation