Avatars are good because…

Some customers are auditory learners – Highly visual information just doesn’t suit some brains.

They can help you do complicated things – People learn best from other people, not necessarily from reading something, and avatars provide some of that interaction.

Avatars are evil because…

They’re creepy! – If you must have an avatar, I recommend having an ordinary video shot of yourself, rather than an animated avatar. Especially one with an electronic voice.

People don’t always have or like sites with sound­ – I’ll vouch for the truth of this – I’m one of them. I can skim read much faster than the time it takes for someone to have a casual conversation with me.

Bottom line? If you have a site where people might need to be walked through complex tasks, or if the avatar is opt-in rather than opt-out (by exiting the site!), then go for it.

Of course, the Google algorithm is a tightly guarded secret, much like the 11 secret herbs and spices in KFC chicken. And besides, I don’t think that if you knew the recipe and made the chicken at home yourself that it would taste the same, anyway! So, even though some things are meant to remain unknown, today we attempt to map out the Google algorithm for web marketing success … just a little!

Shhh! Don't tell Google!

I’ve broken down each of the elements that would go into scoring a website with the Google algorithm, and then listed the factors that come under each element.

1. Keyphrase usage

The factors that would go towards the overall ‘keyphrase usage’ score in the Google algorithm for your site would include some combination of positioning (is the keyword in the title tags, the header tags and the URL?), is the keyword used in the content of the page, and is it used in anchor text for inbound links?

2. Domain trust/authority

This element is related to the age of the domain and its inferred authority that comes from its extension – .edu and .gov domains rank better, as we know. It also includes factors like its registration history (has it changed hands), the conceptual neighbourhood of the domain (is it about buying prespcription pharma online, or about getting a university degree?), and the links pointing to the domain.

3. Link popularity

It isn’t just about sheer numbers when it comes to link popularity! We’re fairly sure that Google considers factors like the age of the links, the quality of the domains and the pages that the links reside on, the anchor text used, Pagerank, and whether the subject matter is related to yours somehow.

4. Visitor Data

If our page shows up a lot in search results but few people click on it, that may erode your ranking. Factors like search requests for your particular URL or domain, the time that users spend on your pages and the number of pages they visit would probably all factor in the algo.

5. Quality of content

There are machine algorithms for rating text readability – the Flesch-Kincaid readability test may be one of them – and they probably influence your Google rank. If you wanted another reason why its better to hire out your website copywriting, there it is!

6. Penalties

And of course, any penalties must be factored into the equation.

There’s a lot of holes in this run down of what the Google algorithm potentially entails … but also a lot of illumination!

Won’t people be able to tell that I’ve used a template?

Well, not necessarily. They might be able to tell that you’ve used a template … and if your audience is in the web design and build industry, or the IT industry, I wouldn’t ever recommend using a template. However, the majority of customers will not be the least bit interested in whether you used a template to build your website … they just want to know if you’ve got what they want to buy at a reasonable price!

Doesn’t it hurt your business credibility to have a website that looks like it’s come off a production line?

Not necessarily. People who study usability on the web agree that predictability is one of the major factors in ensuring that your website is user-friendly. Remember that if people can’t figure out what the heck your site is about, all the clever Flash tricks and pretty graphics in the world won’t stop them throwing up their hands in disgust…

What if something goes wrong with the site?

Many free templates and themes made for WordPress, Joomla and Drupal websites can be pretty buggy. And when you didn’t pay for something, you can hardly demand that the creator give you your money’s worth by fixing up the bugs . Do keep in mind that there are plenty of quite cheap templates, that are less likely to be buggy. Also keep in mind that the most reliable solution of all, especially if you want to have people intereact with your website in any way, or will be changing content more than occasionally, is to have the professionals build your site.

What about my web marketing?

Excellent point! The free websites that look the best may not always have an SEO-friendly structure … and if something so basic is missing from your website, your business is instantly and forever on an uneven footing with all the other businesses in your industry that have customised, search engine optimised templates. This final consideration is perhaps the largest…

Think carefully before you use a free website template. The usual objections might not be the ones that impact your business the most … but remember, you get what you pay for!

Get the people that matter to yoour business through your doors!

1. Join your chamber of commerce

There is one in most cities and suburbs – chambers of commerce are a place for all the shop owners in the area to meet and talk, well, shop. They usually have websites, and if you’re lucky they’ll be affiliaited with the local council, which gives you a .gov link. Great value in general business as well a s link building.

2. Check in with your local business partners

Send out an email, or make a few phone calls, to your local suppliers, agents, and other business partners asking if they would like to exchange links with you. There is a real possibility this will drive both foot traffic through your door, and net traffic through your home page.

3. Launch an affiliate program

Start an affiliate program where people are rewarded for recommending new customers to you. In many cases, they will do this via the internet … talking to people they know on Twitter and Facebook and Myspace. These links may have no Google juice, but the exposure they create could certainly lead to ordinary links.

4. Submit your site to relevant government resources

Government departments often create resource lists of businesses that can help people in an area do something. Take the time to look through your local and state government websites, seeing if your site fits into any of the categories. Write asking for inclusion if it does.

Twitter - Addictive

1. Coupon delivery

When it comes to coupons, people only want to know what they’re getting. They don’t need to be convinced of the worth of your product … they just want to know how cheap it is! Twitter’s 140 character limit is perfect for this sort of thing. Post a short description of your offer and a condensed link to your downloadable coupons. Don’t forget to tell people that you’ll be tweeting with discounts via your other web marketing methods.

2. Taking orders

While most Twitter marketing, and indeed most of social media marketing in general, is targeted at big firms, this is one that even the little guys can do. Tell your customers that they can now tweet their order direct to your store – it can be received on a mobile web device or a monitor can be set up near the checkout area. People don’t have to call to make a pickup or delivery request, then.

3. Contests

The best known example of this tactic is Moonfruit, a UK-based web design firm, that gave away Macbook Pros to people that tweeted with the hashtag  #moonfruit. They have done amazingly well out of the contest, though it did cost them the price of 11 Macbook Pros and 10 iPod Touches…

4. Replace email with Twitter

This takes your private work conversations into the public arena … and while many feel uncomfortable about this, it has been quite a sales driver for some companies. Appos shoes pioneered this concept, and it seems that people love the openness.

The various internet marketing strategies has greatly improved in the past few years. This paved the way for business establishments to access the internet and take the business to different levels. How then are you going to consider a good marketing solution? Here are some tips on how to get the right internet marketing solution that can cater to the demands and challenges of your online business.

First, a good marketing solution focuses on attracting more quality traffic. In order to generate income, your online business must generate a desirable amount of visitors that can be converted into sales.

Second, like SEO, it helps your website improve its page ranking in the major search engines. The higher your page rank, the greater possibility of increasing your online visitors. Also, high page ranking ensures your site with targeted group visitors rather than the usual random users.

And lastly, it must create means on how to neutralize online competition. In order for your online business to survive with other various tough competitors, you have to make the necessary adjustments in terms of services or fees. There is a need for you to know how other businesses in your field are doing in the competition before coming up with a desirable marketing campaign.

Some of the popular internet marketing solutions are search engine submissions, affiliate marketing, link building, competitor analysis, and the email marketing. These techniques can help you achieve your desired online visibility and increase profits in the long run. But like any other methods, it also takes time before things run smoothly.

In developing the right marketing strategies for your online business, make sure that every area in your venture is taken into consideration. Building successful online business is not just about the web design. It is getting the right online marketing solution.

For more information about effective web marketing solutions, visit www.webmarketingexperts.com.au.

There have been constant developments of new media tools wherein you can market your products and services for free. All you have to do is put your creative mind to work. In order to reach your desired audience and turn them to potential buying customers in the long run, you need to think of effective marketing techniques. The web market industry holds the toughest competition among the internet marketers and that you have to be smart to achieve your business’ bottom line.

One way to outsmart your competitors in web marketing is through social networking. More and more people are into the craze of Facebook, MySpace, and a whole lot more, giving you the opportunity to reach as much audience as possible. In order to make this social network site accounts work for your online business promotion, you must create an appropriate company profile. And as much as possible, participate in the regular interaction to create an impression and make people become interested with your business.

Another way is through podcasting. This technique is considered as the cheapest and easiest way of marketing your products or services. A microphone with free software for sound editing, an effective marketing tool is on the rise. Podcasts are easily downloaded to personal computers and cell phones making it easier for you to reach potential customers.

A good web design can be considered as an effective tool in achieving the desired profit maximization goals. However, it is not sufficient. Try to incorporate video marketing in your website. This technique is said to be the newest trend in online advertising. As the advent of the internet has provided most people the fast access to almost anything, viewing videos can then work better as compared to plainly reading bits of information. Expert SEO believes in the power of site content but there are those who really lack the enthusiasm in reading. Being effective in online marketing means reaching various types of customers and that is why you need to be creative at times. Do not allow your competitors get your potential customer.

In order to learn more about social media and online marketing, contact www.webmarketingexperts.com.au.

The increasing number of websites flocking in the web market to promote their business has created challenges especially with the competitive approaches of online business advertising. But with the aid of an experienced SEO, a more convenient means of getting high returns can be  applied to your website.

Search engine optimization can take your business way ahead from your online competitors since it provides sustainable strategies along the way. By increasing the quality traffic of your website, high search engine rankings and better online exposure is guaranteed. The techniques applied in internet marketing are aimed towards profit maximization. The higher number of visitors your website gets the higher potential for product sales.

There are no fixed marketing techniques since the application of such entirely depends on the kind of venture as well as your targeted audience. Also, the search engine algorithms are constantly changing and in order to cope with it, the necessary revisions or editing for the marketing steps would be appropriate. The whole process is not just a one time effort and that is why constant monitoring of your website as well as with the engine trends is needed.

Keyword density is also an essential element in the optimization process. Potential keywords must be properly placed in your web pages in order to generate higher yields. In doing such, make sure that it is not just about getting the desired ROI but also giving valuable information to the viewing public who access the internet. Once people find what they are looking for, then they will come back for more.

The online visibility is one important thing to consider once you have created your website. Whether the site is information-based or product-based, letting the people know about your website’s existence is necessary.

For more ideas on how to get more profit from your site through high visibility, visit www.webmarketingexperts.com.au.

You’ll find the term SEO gets thrown around a lot especially on the internet. If you’ve run by a few write-ups, you probably now have an idea about what it is all about. SEO is quite simple to understand if you are literate about search engine processes. But if you’re not, SEO will be a bit confusing. For those vaguely informed about it, SEO is actually a designation coined by web marketing consultants pertaining to a collection of internet-based marketing activities that involve meticulous structuring and development of a site’s web design, links, keywords, content and so on. If each of these elements is able to meet and satisfy search engine standards, the site will automatically earn good page ranking. In a nutshell, page ranking is equivalent to position. As such, high page ranking means higher position in the search engine page results. This leads to greater online visibility which directly impacts a site’s popularity. See, visibility translates to greater web traffic delivery since those that are easily seen are those who are payed more visists by web searchers. Greater web traffic further improves page ranking, thereby renewing the cycle and further catapulting the site up the charts. With continuous positive SEO campaign outcomes, the site will ultimately reach the heights of the search engine hierarchy and become the number one instructional aide or resource site for specific products and services.

Hence, it comes as no surprise that online businesses are the ones who have greatly benefited from this web marketing technique. After all, popularity is one of the established ways that they are able to generate transactions and consequently, revenue. Given these financially unstable times and a rapidly shifting trade environment, SEO clearly serves as an indispensable marketing tool for online entrepreneurs.  It does not only afford remarkably lucrative marketing results; it also allows businesses to adapt to changes. So to get yourself started in your SEO campaign now, here are a few suggestions you can consider:

1.)    Start on your site. Create a search-engine friendly site that uses the proper meta tags and description. Through this, you can increases the chances of being picked up on and indexed by search engine spiders.
2.)    Spread outward. Build quality linkages with other credible sites through directory submissions.
3.)    Nurture your content. Make articles and blogs that have backlinks to your site. This will increase your visitors as well as the amount of web traffic you will divert to your site.

There’s more to do in  SEO  aside from the three that’s mentioned. It is a consistently evolving task that demands incessant observation. If you do decide to start your SEO campaign, do follow through. Results are neither immediate nor permanent. But if you do manage to maintain it for some time, you’ll discover that it is truly an influencial marketing technique

For more ideas on how you can use SEO to succeed in business, visit www.webmarketingexperts.com.au.

Search engine optimization is an internet marketing practice that allows online companies to achieve higher returns of investment. It helps make more transactions and equivalently more income. SEO aids in solidifying a business’ status in the worldwide online market. And consequently, it provides online business the opportunity to gain momentum for their business ventures. But how does it accomplish this?

As some of you may be aware of, search engine crawlers are responsible for the search results in search engines like Google and Yahoo. Through indexing, they are able to arrange sites pertaining to certain subjects, according to their value and importance. In the process, search engine spiders consider a number of factors to determine what page rank a site will receive. This page rank, along with several other factors, will affect the inflow of web traffic and accordingly, a site’s visibility online. The web design, content, links and keyword usage are just some the factors crawlers look into to verdict the site’s fate in the online hierarchy.

With appropriately prepared and utilized elements, sites will fare well in the marketing race. SEO guarantees this through practice. It immerses itself in the whole indexing process and influences the reaction of web crawlers towards the site being optimized. The collection of web-based activities it takes on, like blog submissions, directy listing, content and link building, help improve the site’s overall credibility and performance in the search engine result page. As such, SEO lends a hand in hastening the judgment process and augmenting its outcome.

It is important to note that SEO is not just about one particular thing. Nor is it just a one time attempt. Though growth and development is a natural phenomenon, it does require the right care and guidance in order to be adequate. A tree does not immediately develop into a tree and bear fruit upon planting. It takes time, always, with a lot of tending. SEO takes care of an online business from its creation to promotion, and attempts to usher the business all the way to success.

For more ideas on how to be an online business that gets a good dose of site traffic and revenue, visit www.webmarketingexperts.com.au.