How to Optimize your Website for Local Search
03 2010 Wednesday
24
By Debbie Everson in Website Promotion
As the search engines take “search” to next level, more and more people are beginning to narrow down their searches to their cities or neighborhoods. This is because of the rising need among visitors to know who they are dealing with. They want to personally visit your business location. Thus, targeting local visitors along with global visitors does help your website get the best of both worlds.
3 Reasons to Optimize for Local Search:
- Build Brand Awareness. Optimize your website for local keywords to increase brand awareness geographically.
- Leverage Trust. If local visitors trust your brand, this can translate on to the web and capture the attention of global visitors. This superiority will set your website apart from your competitors.
- Increase ROI. A recent survey shows that, local seo tends to convert more often, is cost effective and leads to increased ROI.
How to Optimize your Website for Local Search?
Optimizing a website for a locally oriented business includes all the steps of on page and off page optimization along with a few tweaks and additions. The following steps will ensure that your website marks its presence in the local results.
- Add Your City Name to the Meta Tags. It is highly important to add the name of your local city to your original keywords and place them accordingly in the title, keyword tag and description tag of the web page. While crawling and indexing the website, the searchbots interpret the emphasis on the name of the city; then use the city name for the search engine results pages from the database.
- Use Other Localized Metadata Available. There are various other Meta Tags present in HTML which favor local website optimization. Some of them are present under the Meta name as ‘country’, ‘geo position’ or ‘ICMB’. Meta Name – country can be used to input the name of the country where your target visitors reside. Meta Name – geo position or ICMB can be used to input the latitude and longitude coordinates of your business city. Every country has its own unique ICMB code. These details give the search engines more favorable data to rank well locally.
- Submit Your Website to Google Local Business Center. Google lets you submit your business listing free of cost to its local business center. You can add business details like address, area of operation, contact number and hours of operation to the listing. All these details are available on the screen with a snapshot of a map which shows the detailed location of your business. All you have to do is add the listing in the local business center by going through a quick verification process and the visitors will find their way to your business website.
- Build High Quality Backlinks. Link building is the most important aspect of search engine optimization. Search engines give a lot of importance to incoming links and consider it as a measure of a website’s popularity. You can build quality backlinks by submitting your site to high PR search directories, internet yellow pages, local search engines and Google webmasters tool.
- Select the Correct Service Provider. If your business is based in UK and your domain (.com) is hosted with a service provider whose servers are based in its Australian data centers, then chances of your website ranking well in Australia are more. This is because; the search engine will interpret your website to be an Australian website making it harder to rank well in UK search engines (.co.uk). Thus, hosting your website in the country where most of your customers live is a practical decision.
Website optimization for local search is a must for websites with service based businesses to increase lead generation, sales and ROI.
Debbie A. Everson is the CEO of SearchMar.com, experienced SEO Consultants and Search Engine Optimization Agency to over 2,000 small businesses. Learn about search engine marketing, paid search advertising, social media, and email marketing. Read my SEO Blog for hints and tips. Follow me on Twitter @searchmar. Call 1.866.885.6263 to speak to one of our SEO Consultants and receive your free consultation.Top 7 Out-of-the-Box Ideas to Get Your Articles Published Online
02 2010 Monday
15
By Donna Gunter in Website Promotion
Even though I use an amazing article distribution service, not all publications or blogs serving my industry or my target market are on the distribution list for this service or for the well-known, high traffic article directories. So, to ramp up the syndication of my articles yet another notch, I also submit them to specialty or niche publications that I have discovered over the years.
It’s not always easy to find these publications and sites. Here are my 7 best out-of-the-box ideas to find publications and sites that are frequented by your target market and might publish your articles:
1. Blogs. Research blogs written for your target market at Blogcatalog.com, Technorati.com, and Google Blog Search. Many of the blog owners will willing publish posts of guest authors. And, if you subscribe to Cathy Stucker’s BloggerLinkUp.com, you’ll receive weekly notices of bloggers looking for content for their blogs.
2. Associations and print publications. Research the trade and professional associations for your target market. You can create a query in your search engine for combinations like “target market” + “association” or “target market” + “magazine” to get you started.
When you locate the associations, examine their trade publications, newsletters, and industry-related magazines for information about online blogs, ezines, forums, or the online edition of their publication. Many publications well-known for their print versions now have online versions where the publication lead time is much shorter and the stipulations for publications aren’t as restrictive. And, don’t forget to look at the online versions of your local newspaper, magazines, and media outlets. They are often seeking experts with content to beef up their online offerings.
3. Your competition. Google the name of your competitors and examine the results. Note where their content is being published. Chances are that you can be published on the same sites, as well.
4. Trainers of your target market. In your search engine look up “training” + “target market.” Whatever associations, portals, training companies, consultants, etc. that are providing education and information for your target market probably also need content for their sites and blogs.
4. Gender specific or business specific groups. If your target market is women, there are countless numbers of women’s business and networking associations and portals online. Simply search for “women” + “networking” or “women” + “association” or “business networking” + “association.” Many of these sites need content for their blogs, ezines, or web sites.
5. Niche article directories. You might find article banks or expert sites geared for particular niches, so look up “target market” + “article directory.” Some of the better known niche article directories are SelfGrowth.com, for self-improvement and holistic healing experts. Many of these sites will let you create a profile and publish your articles free of charge but require a fee to move your articles to a prominent place on their site.
6. Large portal sites. Look for portal sites like About.com and iVillage.com where the sites have guides, editors, or experts in specific areas. Many times these experts must publish a regular ezine or blog and are constantly seeking content. One of their editors at About.com used to publish a lot of my articles on her section on Online Business. Check out information portals like Squidoo.com and Hubpages.com as well for ideas on where to submit your articles. You might also find large portals geared specifically for your industry or your target market.
7. Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a large online encyclopedia to which the public contributes. Some areas are very well documented on Wikipedia. Additionally, Wikipedia’s References section, See Also section, and External Links area are often good online sources as well.
The content that you create is a primary business asset. Don’t let it languish on your computer’s hard drive. Make it work for you over and over again by seeking out new sites seeking useful content like yours.
Internet Marketing Automation Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals create prosperous online businesses that make more profit in less time. Would you like to learn the specific Internet marketing strategies that get results? Discover how to increase your visibility and get found online by claiming your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, at ==> http://www.TurbochargeYourOnlineMarketing.comGetting a Web Presence – Six Reasons to Go Cyber
01 2010 Monday
25
By Enzo F. Cesario in Website Promotion
Saying that the Web is complicated is like saying that football is aggressive. Web trends come and go, with success stories and disasters wrestling for attention in the public eye. Sometimes people get it, and you have an amazing case like the advent of Twitter. Others miss the point spectacularly, such as CNN’s short-lived series where newscasters read excerpts from blogs.
With so much coming so quickly, it’s no surprise that some people are hesitant to expand their business into the online marketplace. It’s intimidating, and the penalties for failure can be harsh. However, here are six good reasons that every business can and should establish a Web presence.
#1 – Common Reference
Today, the Web is an integral part of most people’s lives. It’s not surprising that fewer and fewer people each year go to the newspaper or television for information and entertainment. News travels faster on the Web, and the sheer volume of entertainment available via sites like YouTube, Netflix, College Humor and others all mean less time in front of the television, and more time surfing the Web.
This is a warning and an opportunity. Traditional venues do still have a place simply through inertia and ubiquity, but they also are giving ground to the rising force of the Web. Getting a presence online allows you to keep pace with these growing trends; as people grow ever more dependent on the Web as a means of information and conducting business, it is the Web-oriented enterprise that likely will have its customer base grow, rather than shrink.
#2 – Innovation
The Web is so unrestrained that there are all manner of ways people can develop their creative impulses and come up with the next world-winning idea.
In that spirit, it’s healthy for any business to expose itself to innovation and competition. The increased tide of information may seem overwhelming, but managed carefully and studied diligently it can provide a wealth of ideas that can help your business grow. Any organization that cuts itself off from valuable information is just asking to be bypassed.
#3 – Communication
No other system of communication has been so fundamentally universal as the Web. People crave communication and contact, and the Web has affirmed this through every social multimedia network that has evolved and thrived. This is much more than a simple case of friends catching up on the latest gossip; it is a powerful tool that can keep your business ahead of the game.
The Web is bursting with information. Many experts use the Web to publish materials they don’t want to take the time to ram through slower, more traditional channels, because they’re eager to share. If you have an issue for your business, the Web has an expert ready to discuss it. Getting a Web presence allows these experts to see what you have to offer, and to help you refine it, be it through a forum discussion or a friendly email.
#4 – Efficiency of Exposure
This is where the Web truly shines, as demonstrated by the success of bookselling giant Amazon. Advertising takes time and money, so you want to put your advertisements where the greatest number can see them for the smallest cost. So rather than have many scattered retail bookstores, Amazon has one centralized system that everyone can go to, almost anywhere in the world.
These benefits extend beyond the mail-order mindset, as well. Having a well-designed, effective website for your store can get people interested. Rather than take a gamble on an unknown restaurant, for example, consumers can come to its site and see exactly what’s on the menu, for what prices, and even reserve a table with a convenient online form. As a result, the restaurant fills up tables, and its competition misses out.
#5 – Inexpensive Investment
Very few businesses have to incur a massive expense when setting up their initial Web presence. The cases in which you’d need your own server, for example, are vanishingly rare. Bandwidth and hosting space can be acquired for very reasonable rates, with many hosts offering trial periods and special business discounts. For the many benefits a Web presence can offer, the investment is hardly worth mentioning-but the ROI can be staggering.
#6 – A Case in Point
This is a bit of a ‘meta’ reference, meaning it requires a little thinking outside the usual box. But consider for a moment just where you’re reading this article. Consider what probably brought you to this website. Is it a coincidence that an article about establishing a Web presence can be found on the Web? A bit of lighthearted irony, but it does get you thinking a little, doesn’t it?
People are using the Web, and are going to continue using it. Major legislative battles are being fought over just how the Web should be allowed to function, but the Web most likely is going to be the defining arena of all business for the next century and beyond. Do your business the best service you can, and consider not if you should get a Web presence, but what form is the most appropriate to begin with.
About The Author:
Enzo F. Cesario is a Copywriter and co-founder of Brandsplat. Brandcasting uses informative content and state-of-the-art internet distribution and optimization to build links and drive the right kind of traffic to your website. Go to http://www.Brandsplat.com/ or visit our blog at: http://www.brandsplatblog.com/There are Two Different Types of Pages Required for Your Online Based Business Website
01 2010 Wednesday
20
By Michelle Jayes in Website Promotion
If you have an internet based business website are you aware that you should have two different types of pages for your site? The two types of pages are a sales page and a content page, or if you prefer you could call them squeeze or landing pages and article pages.
In case you are not sure what the difference is between these two types of pages here is a quick explanation;
1. The sole purpose of a landing or sales page is to either sell a product get someone to opt in to your mailing list or preferably both of these options. This page needs to be dedicated strictly to achieving either or both of these aims and should not have anything else on it that is likely to distract your visitor from its purpose.
Although this squeeze page is part of your website it will not be embedded into the rest of the site. This sales page exists separately from your main website and its sole purpose is to achieve one or both of the options available on that page.
2. Now the main function of an article page is to add valuable and relevant content to your internet based business that will not only get your site to rank highly on the search engines such as Google but will generate targeted traffic for you and the more traffic you get to your website the more sales you are likely to make.
The beauty of content pages is that each page can be linked to all the other pages on your website and this makes it easy for your visitors to explore and become familiar with the products and services that you have on offer. Remember when linking through from page to page that you should also hyperlink the keyword phrases that describe the purpose of the target page.
If you want to get the best chance of getting maximum attention from Google then you need to keep your articles as unique as you possibly can. Something else that will increase your SEO rankings is to be sure that both your article headline and any sub-headings, as well as your closing paragraph are key-word optimised.
These two pages are the main types of pages to be found on websites, but there is also a third type of page that is extremely important and that is the homepage of your internet based business website.
Although this page should also be designed with the purpose of persuading and informing, its main function should be to keep your visitors up to date on the available content and encourage them to look further to find the information and services that will benefit them and to get them to willingly give you their name and email address.
So keeping this in mind it would be worth your while to include any links to your most recent articles or any news updates on products or services so that people can easily click through to find them. Always ensure that your opt-in form is displayed in a prominent place on your homepage, so that visitors can leave their details for you without having to search.
Finally but of great importance is to be sure that all of your content pages including your homepage are linked to your sales pages as the reason for doing all this work is so that you can get as many of your interested visitors as possible to click through to your sales pages and purchase your products.
Michelle Jayes invites your to visit her legitimate income opportunities website www.online-income-business.com for money making ideas and ways to improve and build an internet based businessUsing PLR Correctly to Achieve Successful Results
01 2010 Friday
8
By Kathy Dobson in Website Promotion
If you’ve been thinking of entering the online marketing world then no doubt you have come across the term PLR. So, what exactly is PLR?
PLR stands for Private Label Rights. Private Label Rights is simply content that has been written previously by someone else for use by others. There are many different ways you can purchase PLR. You can buy content packages in your particular niche or you can join a membership site that provides unique content on a monthly basis.
PLR products provide any online business owner the opportunity to make money with very little overhead, and the great thing is, you now have content that is targeted to driving traffic to your online business.
For example, if your website or blog dealt with “stay at home moms,” you would purchase article packs covering different topics in the “stay at home mom” world. You could use these articles to add valuable content to your website each week to keep your existing visitors happy and to draw new ones in. Additionally, you can use that same content to promote affiliate programs or products you have produced on your own.
Before you dive into using PLR, you must first understand what your rights are as a PLR buyer/owner. Private Label Rights products entitle you to rewrite any or all of the content as you see fit and put your name on the finished product. Although you did not write it, you have the right to claim it as your own.
Any reputable PLR site will provide a list of the ways that you are allowed to use or not use the content that you purchase from them. Each one is slightly different though so make sure you read and understand this important list first before moving forward and using the content.
Finding and posting great content can be extremely time consuming for anyone growing an information business online. But, in order to be successful, you must consistently provide unique content to your readers. This is what makes PLR so appealing. The fact that you are allowed to use this content for your website or blog makes it extremely valuable. The time you save can be put to use developing other more important aspects of your business.
Be aware that PLR does have a downside. There are hundreds of others privileged to use this same content. You must take care to make this material your own before using it on your site, articles or blogs. This is the only way to keep the search engine gods happy…as well as your faithful visitors.
Rewriting PLR content is not as difficult as you might imagine. Here are a few tips:
- Use a Ghostwriter. Hiring a ghostwriter to start from scratch to create a product for you can be very expensive…particularly for the newcomer. On the other hand, hiring them for a rewrite is less costly and can produce great results. Simply ask your ghostwriter to do a paragraph by paragraph rewrite, using different words but keeping the same feel. Before you publish your articles, check them over carefully.
- Use a software program created for this purpose. These can be helpful tools, but you must be careful that the feel of the article does not change. Furthermore, these programs sometimes substitute synonyms that turn your article into complete rubbish. Always recheck it closely before using this rewritten content.
- New Graphics. Even if your PLR comes with graphics, it is wise to have your own graphics made and change these up. Remember, there will be others using the same PLR and using the same book cover as others will be a dead giveaway. Adding pictures and other graphics to the content will make your product stand out from the rest. Using screen print images easily demonstrates what you are trying to convey and it further engages the reader.
There are free graphics available online as well as many sites that charge a nominal fee for use of graphics. One way or another, make sure these graphics are “royalty free.” Adding video to go along with your content will really up the value of your product.
- Change up your own PLR product. If you enjoy writing and have the time, changing up PLR will not take nearly as long as creating something from scratch. It’s much easier to rewrite portions of an existing article…than to create an article from scratch.
- Using relevant keywords and links that have been provided with your PLR can help you to monetize your site. Simply add the links provided, or add in your own affiliate links.
As you can see, PLR is worth its weight in gold and it is worth your time and effort to discover the many different ways of using and making this content your own. PLR is a time-saving, efficient way of providing information online. Don’t miss out on a surefire way to increase the success of your online business or blog.
Kathy Dobson is a free spirited business owner and entrepreneur dedicated to helping others achieve financial and personal freedom through Internet marketing with an emphasis on membership sites. Learn more about membership sites please visit: http://www.crazycashmembershipsites.com For further tips and resources visit: http://www.kathydobson.comTips for Increasing Online Sales – The Questions You Need to Answer to Get More Customers Now
09 2009 Friday
11
By Eric Gruber in Website Promotion
I’m going to let you in on a very dirty secret:
There is one question that is being dodged by experts in EVERY market. Answer that question and you’ll corner the market, be worshipped forever and get more customers and sales.
If it was that easy, why aren’t other experts answering these questions?
It’s because they fear an informed audience. That’s outright silly! But, we’re not going to tell them that. While your competitors run scared, you’ll be getting more sales since you’re going to follow the steps I outline in the article below. You will educate your targeted audiences, get more website traffic, teach people how to buy from you and increase your sales.
Now, are you ready?
Step 1: Find the questions that are being dodged by other experts in your industry.
I can’t tell you what these questions are. It will vary from industry to industry. . So, how do you find these golden questions to answer?
- Go to Yahoo Answers and type in your keyword. Examine the questions carefully and see which ones keep popping up. If people are asking the same questions, that means that people have the same questions. There’s a need that’s NOT being fulfilled.
- Go to forums and watch what your audience is discussing
- Survey your clients, customers and list of prospects
Step 2: Answer the questions in as many formats as possible
For each question create a blog post. Do NOT date these blog posts – you will see why later on. Once you create your blog post, expand it into an article. Then, turn your article into a video, special report, podcast and audio interview. You should also create online press releases. If you need help with writing your articles and blog postings, I have templates that will help you write your articles in 30 minutes or less. Just go to http://www.StartWritingArticlesFaster.com
Step 3: Answer the Questions in As Many Places As Possible
- You should submit your blog posts to as many RSS feeds as possible
- You should bookmark your blog posts using Digg, Technorati and De.li.cious
- You should submit your articles to the top websites, ezines and article directories that accept article submissions. We can do this for you at http://www.IWantMoreProspects.com
- You should submit your videos to YouTube and Viddler. You may even want to think about investing in the TrafficGeyser.com video submission service
- You should post links to your blog, articles and videos on Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and Linked In.
- You should post your articles on social marketing websites sites like Scribd and Squidoo
- You should submit your press releases through PR Web or Webwire. If you use Webwire.com, all you have to pay is $20. But, I do suggest comparing the two services and see which one matches your needs.
- Videos teaching people how to buy from you or how to use your product should be on your website.
- When people opt-in for your special reports, ebooks or other free offering, you should have an auto-responder series that gets people to go back to your blog or website. If you have lots of blog postings that answers your prospects’ top questions – all you have to do is create a summary for each blog posting and send people back to your blog every day. This way each blog posting will get the visibility it deserves. And, by not showing the date, these postings become evergreen.
Follow these steps and you will increase website traffic and get more sales, because you’ll be educating your prospects, answering their questions and teaching them how to buy from you.
About the Author:
Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for Internet marketers, small business owners, authors, entrepreneurs and speakers who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, you can get his instant article writing templates that will help you write your articles in 30 minutes or less. Get 3 of his favorite article writing templates for free at: http://www.TryMyFreeArticleTemplates.com
User Experience – How Your Visitors Perceive Your Website
09 2009 Thursday
3
By admin in Website Promotion
The concept of user experience, and the consideration of ideas that lend toward the optimization of that concept, have created a field of interest and study that is growing as a concrete and primary business model regarding the online world. The focus on user experience is defined through standards that involve multiple dynamics. A paramount is placed upon not only the user’s perception of a web site, but also the sites ability to efficiently serve the user’s needs while simultaneously reflecting the business operatives sought after by the owner of the site.
There are many standard sets, such as The Stanford Guidelines, which relate to the functional aspects of a web site, referring to credibility, updates, and other performance based ideals. However, evaluating and applying user experience principles involves a more complex and multifaceted mindset. When dealing with UX, (user experience) a web designer or programmer must incorporate concepts that exist independently, but also blend smoothly and work efficiently.
User Experience is about more than just building a website
Many believe it is the responsibility of the web design company to implement UX effectively in ones websites, yet in reality this is a common misconception by many business and associates. In reality, all areas of development of a website are critical, especially the content as it contains the philosophy of your business and is the key in sharing this philosophy with your users. Along with effective content organization, marketing techniques and add to the overall effectiveness of a web-site, by understanding what your visitors are looking for when they visit your site.
There are many aspects of User Experience that are very complicated and in many ways this discipline is still being developed and mastered. Many debate whether the topic is even a distinct area of study. Louis Rosenfeld, an author and publisher who focuses on web information architecture claims of UX that, “At best, it’s a common awareness, a thread that ties together people from different disciplines who care about good design.” While this may be true in many aspects, the discipline albeit still forming, is commanding extensive attention via statistical research methods throughout the online arena.
The Specific Set Of Concepts To Follow
The UX Honeycomb Model, designed by information architect Peter Morville, lays out a specific set of Concepts to be systematically applied when designing a site. Usability with a strong focus on emotional design principles use functional aspects to provide comfort and attraction to a given website.
This supports the fact that all facets of custom web design and consultation come into play when analysing how a user will feel and react when they visit your site.
One of the important areas to think about when implementing UX principles is to consider other proven sites without copying the exact UX. User Experience is really very complicated and can’t simply be applied through blanket methodology. The unique user experience if defined via the identity and purpose of each individual site. Therefore, attempting to apply standard methods in order to copy a set formula of another site with a different set of values can be not only detrimental, but also wasteful.
Every site must have its own unique angle when it comes to User Experience
Every project engaging UX principles call for a custom outline predicated on the business or non-profit’s available resources, abilities, timeline, finances, and a plethora of realistic factors.
Additionally, because the concept of UX is based on users or people, a detailed paradigm of interpersonal qualities in many ways define the effectiveness of user experience initiatives.
Therefore, attempting to broadly and forcefully incorporate a devotion to UX, rather delicately fuse it with existing business principles, would be an ineffective strategy. Steve Baty, principal and user experience strategist at Meld Consulting, concludes that, “People cling to things like personas, user research, drawing comics, etc…In reality the best designers have a toolbox of options, picking and choosing methods for each project what makes sense for that particular project.”
In the world of online efficiency, user experience models and principles are in many ways the logistic DNA of a site as it relates to its audience. In effect, the result of that blueprint proves to be the signature or fingerprint that separates a simply conducive web site from an engaging, capturing, and truly optimal site that rewards the user, developer, and company in a similarly gratifying manner.
WKWD knows that success or failure of your custom web design project is determined by the user experience. Find out more about why the professional web design company you choose to develop your website will either help your business succeed online or hold it hostage. We have the answers.100 Free Tools to Track Everything on Your Web Site
08 2009 Thursday
13
By admin in Website Promotion
When you put up your Web site for the first time, it’s easy enough. You’re kind of liking this new-fangled Internet thing. The site starts to get a bit bigger over time.
Now you are up to your ears in advertising requests, tracking information and page comments. You need some free information and help fast. This list of 100 free tools to track everything on your Web site will get you though until you can get an IT guy on the phone.
Web Site Statistics and Counters
1. RiteCounter– While Ritecounter has a visitor counter, it’s the extras that put it over the top. Track hits to individual pages on your site, enjoy the free IP tracker, and enjoy other valuable tools and features.
2. GoStats– GoStatis is a free Web hit counter that more than exceeds the value of its price tag. Quickly check out page views, determine your returning visitors, gauge your page popularity, and more.
3.Browser Statistics– If you’re feeling out of step with what kids are doing on the interwebs these days, this program helps keep you up to date. It lets you know what browsers, operating systems, screen resolutions, and Javascript people are using these days, so your site won’t be too far behind (or too far ahead) of the times.
4.Who’s.Amung.Us– This site provides a simple code that you add into your site, and requires no registration. With the code, you’re tracking visitors numbers and locations, peak traffic times, and more.
5.Histats– Get your statistics in monthly, daily, or even hourly format with this tool. You’ll get stats for every page, a click counter service, visitor path tracking, and more.
6. Tracewatch– Choose between PHP tracking or Java tracking with this cool tool. You’ll also get a web-based panel with which to scope out the real-time visitor tracking info.
7. eWebCounter– Keep track of visitors visibly or invisibly with this simple program. Also, get reports of visitor statistics e-mailed directly to you.
8. Statcounter– Invisible and incredibly accurate, Statcounter is like a slightly less lethal ninja. It tracks your hits, keeps track of web stats, gives you real-time statistics, and more.
9. FireStats– This program is primarily tooled to non-commercial users. Use it to track referrers, OS trees, search engine keywords, and more.
10. Compete– How much of the entire Internet have you captivated on any given day? This tool measures how many people have visited your site that day—out of everyone on the Internet.
11. Visitors– A super fast web log analyzer, this tool works for Windows, Linux, and various Unix-like systems. It outputs the statistics from your web server log file into a variety of reports, and requires no installation whatsoever.
12. Stat24– It’s all about 24-hour info with this slick program. Get professional statistics, web counters, web promotion and graphical maps of visitor clicks, all in one package.
13. Active Meter– Designed around visitors and not just visits, this tracking tool goes the extra mile for you. Track multiple Web sites with a single account, enjoy invisible trackers, and get all of the info you need to keep those visitors returning.
14. SiteMeter– This provides visitor info in a down-and-dirty, no-frills manner. Get page view averages, lengths of user visits, total counters and daily counters, and more.
15. OneStatFree– Sometimes the simple things really are the best. This tool lets you see which days and times are most active for your site, how its performance compares to others, the browsers your visitors use, and more.
16. FreeStats– Getting web browser access and a customizable dashboard is just the tip of the iceberg with the cool program. You also get detailed statistics and around the clock information.
17. GoldStats– What makes this program Golden? Live reports, detailed visitor information and search engine keyword reports.
18. Stat08– It’s hard to even list all of the features that you get with this free tool. External referrer statistics, search keyword adjustments, visitor statistics (including geography and system information) and more.
19. CQ Counter– Would you like an ad-free, server installation-free web counter? With CQ, you can track which search engines bring you the most folks, how often your pages are reloaded, site hits, and much more.
20. eXTReME Tracking– What makes this tracking so extreme? You get basic tracking, geo tracking, system tracking, and referrer tracking.
21. BBClone– Designed as “a PHP based Web Counter on Steroids,” this tool lets you go beyond the number of visitors. For your visitors, you can get IP addresses, browsers, the order that the visitor viewed pages in, and more.
22. Webstats Basic– This simple program has a little of everything. It allows you to observe visitors and trends, monitor your site traffic, and export reports of your site in a variety of formats.Surveys, Blog Tools and Web Site Communication Gadgets
23. Feedburner– Here’s one for the bloggers out there. This tool lets you turn your blog into an RSS feed for those dedicated readers, track who’s subscribing to your wisdom, and even track what your most popular posts are.
24. Woopra– This tool is great if you want more communication with visitors on your site. In addition to tracking tools, Woopra includes a chat tool, letting you communicate to visitors via handy pop-ups.
25. Addfree Stats– Need free statistics for your visitors? Track and display your hits, poll your visitors, and even view the data on your mobile device.
26. BlogTracker– This is a great, ad-free way of keeping track of your blog visitors. You’ll get visitor counts and other statistics in a sweet, hassle-free format.
27. Enquisite– Here’s your go-to program for search engine traffic data. Track regular searches and paid search engine clicks, and become an expert on drawing more visitors to your site.
28. 4Q– Take a tip from Family Feud and use 4Q to learn what the survey says. This tool helps you design polls for your visitors, and get more detailed feedback beyond the simple fact that they came to the site.
29. Google Banned Checker-A quickie tool to check if your domain name has been banned by Google.
30. ClickTale– Sometimes Big Brother watching isn’t such a bad thing. With ClickTale, you can record and view visitors’ actions on your site from their perspective, allowing you to better customize your site to fix problems people may be having.
31. Clicky– Clicky is another great tool for bloggers everywhere. It provides an easy-to-read dashboard, Twitter keyboard monitoring, in-depth visitor analysis, and more.
32. Snoop– Interfacing between your computer and your site, Snoop ensures that you don’t miss a thing. Be notified of comments, purchases, referrals and more with simple audio alerts.
33. MyBlogLog– If your blog and Facebook had a love child, it might look a lot like this program. You can effectively create an entire online community around your blog, as other bloggers running the program can visually see that you’ve visited, leave comments, and more.
34. Mochibot– If you use a lot of Flash on your site, then this program is ideal for you. It helps you track the popularity of your Flash games and animations, gauge viral Flash ad campaigns effectively, helps incorporate Flash into your blogging, and more.
35. Alexa– How does your Web site rank? Use Alexa to check out site ratings, hot URLs, and cool blogs.
36. The Alexa Toolbar for Internet Explorer– Extend your Alexa experience right into your browser. Get the real skinny on the sites you’re visiting, check out the real-time related links, and other sweet features.
37. Webtrack– Get e-mails or SMS messages when your site goes down or when visitor trends change with this cool program. You’ll also enjoy slick graphical statistics and lots of great visitor info.
38. dnScoop– Should you stay or should you sell now? This site estimates the value of your domain name, and also lets you scope out the prices of great domain names on the market.
39. Feed Analysis– This blog-friendly app is designed to complement Feedburner. It uses Feedburner info to provide interactive charts and more in-depth analysis.
40. SongKicker– Got a Web site for your band? Use this quirky app to sound the electronic depths for your Amazon sales and Internet gossip about you to gauge how hot you and your tunes are.
41. Reciprocal Link Check– Link partners are a great way of expanding your presence all across this series of tubes. To make sure your partners are still linking back to your site use this handy tool.
42. Google Adsense Preview– Google ads are a great way to increase your Web site revenue…if they’re doing their job, that is. This site lets you sample the ads that Google’s Adsense has picked out for you.
43. Google Adsense Calculator– Speaking of Adsense, is it properly paying out in cents (and dollars)? This tool helps you predict earnings changes relating to Impressions, Click Rate, and Cost Per Click.
44. List Cleaner– If your site or blog has a lot of lists, here’s your chance to clean them. This simple too removes duplicates from any list you give it, ensuring that your Top 100 isn’t more like a Top 80-something.
45. Nuconomy– Even though the economy’s in the gutter, the Nuconomy is looking good. This tool goes beyond page views to see just how actively engaged your users are with the site, allowing you to make it even greater.
46. YSlow– This Firefox extension helps you measure your front-end effectiveness. You’ll get a letter grade on your design and an outline of possible areas you can improve on.Technical Web Site Stuff for Smart People
47. Web Page Analyzer– It’s all about file sizes and connection speeds with this simple, awesome program. Discover how quickly your site loads at different speeds, find the combined file size of all items on your page, and trim your sites down accordingly.
48. Grape– Free and open source, there’s a lot of room in this program for exploration and expansion. Get fluid statistics, API extensions, and more.
49. W3C CSS Validation Service– While the name may be a mouthful, it can be described in just two syllables: awesome. Analyze the different CSS templates you used in your Web sites and make sure it meets W3C recommendations which, among other things, means that multiple browsers can read it just fine.
50. Netcraft– Who watches the watch…er, the server? Actually, you can do so with this tool which lets you check out the OS and server software of your webhost, when its computers were last rebooted, and more.
51. DNS Stuff– Worried about keeping your domain name profile up to date? Use this program to check what’s in your WHOIS profile, and make sure you don’t have an obsolete e¬mail hanging out in there.
52. ServiceUptime– Worried about your site going down? This service will e-mail you if that happens, change the domain name being checked, and more.
53. Octagate Site Timer– Here’s another great tool for those worried about visitors with slower connections. You can measure how long it would take users to load multiple pages with this great, simple tool.
54. URI Valet– Here’s what your site really needs: a valet. Scope out your load time, server headers, internal links, image sizes, and more.
55. Browser Shots– While not as visceral as body shots, these Browser Shots are almost as intoxicating. It renders your site in Linux, Windows, Mac, and other browsers, meaning more people can enjoy your work.
56. NetRendererIf you’re a fan of Internet Explorer, you know its one weakness: it has more versions than Spiderman has clones. With this tool, you can render your site in everything from IE 5.5 to IE 8.0.
57. Piwik– One of the key draws to this great program is its features are built inside plug-ins, letting you choose what to keep and what to toss. You store the data it collects in your own database, including visitor tracking, keyword effectiveness, and other great tools.
58. AWStats– Definitely designed for the more visually minded, this tool generates web, streaming, ftp and mail server statistics in graphical format. It’s also great for analyzing log files, getting web compression statistics, sussing out HTTP errors and other great features.
59. JAWStats– As you may have figured out from the names, JAWStats is designed to work with AWStats. It gives you a variety of charts, graphs, and tables regarding visitors to your section of the Internet.
60. Clickheat-If you can’t stand the heat…well, get away from the monitor before you catch on fire. If you can stand the heat, use this tool to get a visual “heat map” of the hot spots on your Web site, define pages with keywords, log screen sizes and browsers, and more.
61. Analog– Sometimes an analog tool for the digital age is just what the doctor ordered. Analog reports in 32 languages, and lets you track usage patterns on your site with speed and customizability.
62. Track Yahoo Search Advertising– Just how effective is that Yahoo advertising? This tool helps you measure your Yahoo ad hits, making sure that you’re getting your money’s worth.
63. CrawlTrack– As a webmaster, what are you missing? If you answered “dashboard,” you’ll enjoy this tool that provides a downloads counter, blocks hacking attempts, tracks down the keywords that lured visitors in, and more.
64. W3Perl– Easy to install and easy to manage, W3Perl is beyond user-friendly. It can be used for page tagging and logfile analysis, and can even be run from your command line.
65. The Webalizer– This tool analyzes your web server log files, and produces them in an easy-to-read HTML format. The analysis is quick, the program is portable, and it supports dozens of languages.
66. Reinvigorate– Does your Web site monitoring need to be…well…reinvigorated? This tool gives you real-time info, granular visitor insight, desktop tracking and other cool features.
67. XiTi Free– This handy tool is already being used by over 350,000 sites. Use it to get a global view of your site, including visitor interest criteria, IP address exclusions, and awesome client support.
68. SpyFu– Think your Web site kung-fu is strong? This program estimates how much money your competition may be spending on advertisements, which can give you the edge.
69. ezine designer– It doesn’t get much simpler than this. Give them your Web site URL and a valid e-mail, and get notified if your site ever goes down, which is great for webmasters on the go.
70. Fiddler Web Debugging Tool– If you’d like to decode the conversation between browsers and your servers, this is the tool for you. In addition to its great debugging features, this tool won’t crash your browser like others of its kind.
71. Firefox: Web Developer Extension– If you’ve already got Firefox, you’re halfway there. This extension lets you remove cascading tiles, assess all of your external links, remove Javascript components, and more.Analytic Programs for Web Sites
72. blvd– This program has almost all of the analytics you’ll need in one slick package. Get live stats, RSS conversion tracking, social media referral info and more.
73. goingup!– For those who feel like analytics packages lack a personal touch, this program clicks all the right buttons. You can personalize your dashboard, get the low-down on visitors, and even get tips on how to improve your web rankings.
74. Yahoo Web Analytics– This is a webtool that believes, like you, that “Web site visitors are now people, not clicks.” Tracking data is available in minutes (if not seconds), there’s 8 filters for scoping out your visitors, and you can track dozens of custom fields and on-site actions.
75. Open Web Analytics– This tool is all about building analytics right into your applications. This allows you to map users on Google Maps, scope out the age of your visitors, track their clicking, and a host of other cool features.
76. Google Analytics– You trust Google to find sites, so why not let them help you with yours? Track unique visitors, viewing trends, and use their unique visual analytics system.
77. Crazy Egg– If you liked Google Analytics’ overlay tool, then here’s a program that goes crazy with it. See visual representations of site visitors as a map representing just how hot (or cold) certain parts of your site are.
78. Slimstat– If you’d like your web analytics software with a bit of hot sauce, then here it is. In addition to normal analytics services, you’ll get bot tracking and spam filtering services, too.Help for the SEO Impaired
79. Website Grader – Schooling yourself about your Web site has never been easier. Just give them your site, list any particular sites you’re in competition with, and receive an e-mail with how you compare in the Internet, with an option to receive ongoing e-mails.
80. Majestic SEO– Speaking of the competition, here’s another program to help you get a leg up on everybody else. It gives you detailed reports about other sites’ backlinks and anchor text, giving you the anatomy of your enemies.
81. Google Trends– What keywords does your site need to rock? Use the search masters, Google, and find out what hottest search phrases on the Internet are.
82. .htaccess URL Rewrite– Got some of those crazy-long URLs that send visitors scurrying? Shorten them to something more user-friendly with one simple step.
83. Cloaking Checker– Sadly, the Cloaking checker has nothing to do with Romulans. Instead, it lets you compare how search engines “see” pages as opposed to how browsers see pages.
84. Keyword Density Checker– Feel like your keywords are getting a little clustered? To make sure your site isn’t cluster-stuck, use this tool to examine keyword density in a handy tag-cloud format.
85. Search Engine Position-This cool tool has two simple components. Primarily, it lets you see how far up (or down) you are on Google searches; in addition to scoping your domain, you can put in certain keywords and see how they’re working for you.
86. Spider View– Skip being a fly on the wall, and try being a spider on the net. With this application you can view your chosen site from the perspective of a search engine spider.
87. Trifecta – Why measure just one aspect of a page when you can measure a trifecta? This program estimates the relative popularity of pages, blogs, and domains.
88. Term Target– It’s all about your mad Keyword targeting skills with this no-frills tool. It assigns any given page a grade based on how well the keywords are targeted.
89. Linkscape– If your internet marketing needs an edge, Linkscape will sharpen it right up. Identify linking domains, analyze the competition, find link acquisition targets, and more.
90. Term Extractor– This tool extracts terms that appear to be targeted at search engines. Check your own site’s effectiveness out, or just scope out the competition, with no installation required.
91. URL Redirect Check– Use a lot of re-directs? Make sure they’re search-engine friendly with one simple click.
92. Geo Target– Does your site’s marketing need to go global? Geo Target helps determine how effectively your site targets region-specific searches.
93. Check HTTP Status Code– Sometimes keeping your sites afloat is like being Scotty and keeping the Enterprise from blowing up. This quick tool spits out what status code a site is giving—sometimes you can even fix it problems without dilithium crystals.
94. IP2LOC– Simply give this site an IP address, and get a handy Google map of the area. Literally track down the competition, or just make sure your IP is giving off good vibrations.
95. Find Domain Age– Just how old is that domain? This simple tool gives you a quick, precise answer to that question.
96. Juicy Link Finder– Related to the previous program, this tool helps you old domains with high page ranks. You can specify searches by keywords, and see who the kings of that particular term are.
97. Raven– It’s all about optimization with this handy tool. It checks out your SEO components, examines what needs work, and lets you keep PDF records of its work.
98. Content Duplication Tool– Worried about duplicate info? This tool helps you sidestep the negative effects of duplicate info (such as index issues) and streamline your site.
99. Quarkbase– Consider this your base of information regarding info about your Web site. Find out how you’re looking on Facebook, Alexa, and everywhere else on the web.
100. Image Analyzer– How well do your images help out your Web site? This simple tool makes sure there’s no issues with image heights and widths, no images or text are missing, and so on.These tools can provide you with imperative information about your Web site or online business. Never have a bad web page again and earn more traffic than ever before. Just think, you may never need another computer repairmen or webmaster.
Suzane Smith – toponlineengineeringdegree.comHow to Keep Customers Happy by Making Your Site Trustworthy and Solving Any Problems
07 2009 Wednesday
8
By Serge Daudelin in Website Promotion
The longer you stay in the field of internet marketing, the more obvious it becomes that customers are really your lifeblood. Even if you happen to create a website that focuses on content and passive income streams of advertising, it is still important to remember that keeping your site trustworthy from both a content and a security point of view is something that should be at the top of your list.
One way to make your site trustworthy is to simply solve all of the problems that come up as they are addressed to you. Trustworthiness often has a lot to do with a sense of professionalism that customers get from vendors and with that in mind, it is something that you can easily create. Reply to all of the e-mails that are sent to you, even if it is just an acknowledgement, letting the people know that you have heard and appreciate what they have to say.
Then, when the action required has been taken on the e-mail, you can go ahead and ensure that your customers now know that the concern they submitted has been dealt with. With that kind of attention to your customer, it won’t be long before all of the customers that have dealt with you start to spread out your excellence level and trustworthiness.
Try to stay in touch with your customers. Don’t let your customers forget your business. One of the easiest ways to follow up with your customers is to find out if your customers are satisfied doing business with you. That way, if they are enjoying doing business with your company, you can ask for testimonials. If they’re unhappy, then you must try to set things right. By Providing great customer service you will increase your chances of getting repeat business from your existing customers and thus increase your sales and profits.
Additionally, there is always the third party method for making your site trustworthy. Getting an independent audit of the security features of your website by companies that specialize in such things will show your customers that you are taking their security seriously and of course once you get approved you will be given the opportunity to display their seal on your website in a way that allows them to vouch for the safety of using your website. This affects different people in different ways, but it never ends up hurting your website’s popularity and therefore it is definitely something you will want to consider doing in the future.
Finally, one more way that you can increase the image that you have in the eyes of your customers is simply through being consistent. If you have a content website, then make sure that you regularly update that website in order to ensure that your people keep coming back. If you have a sales website, then consistently make sure that things are in order, replying to e-mails and helping people to solve any problems they encounter.
To Your Success!
Do you want to learn more about Internet Marketing? I have just completed my brand new guide to Search Engine Marketing Success: ”How To Consistently Drive Thousands Of Targeted Visitors Every Day With Search Engine Optimization”. Download it free here: Search Engine Optimization Success. Affordable Search Engine Optimization Services.com Serge Daudelin is a Search Engine Optimization specialist and consultant who has written over 300 articles in print and 5 published ebooks.How to Solve Local Search, Once And For All
05 2009 Monday
25
By Matt Greitzer in Website Promotion
This month’s column was going to be about Facebook. I had about half of it written before I stumbled upon something unexpected that changed my mind, and the content below.
I’ll start from the beginning. I’m in the early stages of gut renovating my apartment. I’m very handy, and can do most of the work myself, including rough carpentry, drywall, and finishing work. I can even do moderate plumbing and electric. The former I am actually quite comfortable with, the greatest risk being flooding my downstairs neighbors (they are very nice people, and I’m sure they’d understand).
Electric work carries considerably greater risks, like fire, and death. The latter is a pretty big risk. My last electrician offered advice on this topic, and told me that if you grab a live wire with one hand you’ll be fine, as the electricity will complete the circuit through your hand. It’s when you grab it with both hands that you’re in trouble, as then the electricity completes the circuit through your chest. I found his theory intriguing but controversial. Regardless, I can’t do either plumbing or electric work in the city of New York, as building codes prohibit it. So I’m in need of a good plumber and electrician.
Though they must exist, I know implicitly that there is no way to find a good plumber or electrician in New York City. It simply can’t be done. I can find a plumber, any plumber, no problem. My Google query for “New York City Plumbers,” for example, returned 14,700,000 results. (How is that even possible)? But finding a good plumber, one who will show up on time and provide an estimate with fewer than five digits, can’t be done.
This is where I thought I would start writing about Facebook, and the opportunity Facebook has to corner the local search and services market. No one out there is doing this well — not the major engines, not the IYPs, not even the new(er) social search and recommendation engines like Yelp.
I was wrong about that last part, and I’ll return to this in a moment. The problem with local search is not in getting accurate listings, that’s easy. The challenge is in getting relevant reviews on those listings.
In order to do this, you need two key ingredients. The first is scale, as in a massive, active user base willing to inform objective business listing with subjective opinions. The second is relevance, as in some way to ensure the reviews you are reading are not written by shills, angry ex-lovers, or crazy people.
Facebook can address both of these challenges: It has a massive user base, and it’s networked, which provides all kinds of useful ways to vet the trustworthiness of a reviewer’s opinion. If Facebook jumped into the local search space I believe they could corner the market. But I think Yelp has actually beaten them to it.
I was going to put Yelp in my original column as an also-ran. My original thoughts were that Yelp did not have the scale to capture this opportunity. It was in digging around on Yelp looking for examples to prove my point that I realized I’d misjudged it. Yelp does have scale. Though not nearly that of Facebook, Yelp has almost 8 million monthly unique users (according to comScore), and has doubled its user base over the last year.
Yelp can scale content, too. I found a variety of listings for New York City plumbers and electricians (not 14.7 million, but enough) with ratings that looked plausible (i.e. not all five stars). And Yelp has a pool of users that seems, well, not crazy. That is, they seem to make rationale critiques and rate services appropriately (unlike some travel review sites that shall remain nameless). You can vet the reviewers’ quality by clicking on their profile, and their community is even self-policing, calling people out when they seem like phonies, and knocking them back in line when they stray from the site’s main purpose – real reviews about real services.
It was at this point that I realized I had to rework my column and develop a new conclusion. So I’ve revised my point of view. Facebook should not build its own socially powered local search engine; it should just buy Yelp. This combination makes both companies better. It would instantly propel Facebook into the local search space with the backing of an active reviewer base and a proven service model. And Facebook’s scale would rocket Yelp from niche to mainstream, making a good service even better by combining reviewer opinions with vetting via the social graph.
So Yelp, if Facebook calls you up on Tuesday and makes you an offer, you know who sent them. But I’m not greedy. In fact, in return for encouraging a nine-figure liquidity event in your favor, all I would ask is that you pay my plumbing and electric bills. You may think you’re getting off easy, but you haven’t seen these estimates.
Matt Greitzer is vice president and global discipline lead of search marketing at Razorfish. (mediapost)
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