Use the Web to Grow Your Business
You've got a business to run. You don't have time to become an online marketing expert, but you know you should be using the web to grow your business. We're here to help you learn how.
Recent Articles
Creating an XML Sitemap
A sitemap (or site map) is a tool to help search engines crawl and index pages on a website more effectively. That can mean search engines will index more of the pages on your site, more quickly than without a sitemap. That in turn makes it easier for people to find your website.
Google and other search engines will spend only a limited amount of time crawling your site. A complete XML (Extensible Markup Language) sitemap can direct search engines to your most important pages, increasing the likelihood that these pages will be indexed and then discovered by the people you want to attract. This is called "crawl efficiency," and an XML sitemap can improve yours.
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Writing Good PPC Ads
Learning to write good pay-per-click (PPC) ads is much like learning a foreign language. First you need to study the fundamental rules. Then you need to practice. And to get really fluent, you need to test your copy in the real world, to see how the people you want to communicate with respond.
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An HTML Sitemap Helps Search Engines Discover You
A sitemap -- also written as "site map" -- helps search engine spiders and crawlers find and index all the pages on a website more quickly than they might be able to do otherwise.
Indexing is important because if a web page hasn't been indexed by a search engine, it cannot show up for any search query in that engine.
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Tips for Sending Email Newsletters
Using email to send out marketing pieces and newsletters can be a powerful way to touch your customers on a regular basis, prompting them to come back to your website or tell a friend about you.
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SEO: The Basics
“Build it and they will come” won’t work in the jungle of today’s web. Mining the rich opportunities available to companies requires the right tools and techniques. Without those tools, you risk being eaten alive by your better-equipped competitors.
Like an intrepid explorer in the wild, the person searching for something in the jungle of the Internet needs a map and good directions. A properly built website and a well-designed search-engine strategy are the map and directions that lead new customers to your website.
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the practice of directing the right people to your website, at the moment when they are looking for what you’re selling. By optimizing your site’s visibility to search engines, you’re putting your business on the Internet map, and outlining quick, easy routes to your site.
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Crash Course in Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a free web analytics tool that gives you data on your website's traffic. You can use Google Analytics to see how many visitors come to your site every day, how long people stay on your site, where visitors are coming from, and much more.
As you make changes to your site, you can also track how these numbers change. That information can help you decide how to improve your site.
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Using Facebook and Twitter for Your Business
Social sites like Twitter and Facebook can feel overwhelming, but they can be relatively simple, powerful and inexpensive ways to promote your business, and engage your current and future customers.
Social media marketing increases in importance as more people jump into social networks. Facebook is the second most-visited site on the web, with a member count that's higher than the population of the United States.
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Make Sure Your Business Appears in Google Maps
With more and more people using search engines and smart phones to spontaneously pick a nearby business -- be it an Italian restaurant, a plumber, or your business -- it's important for your local business to show up in Google Maps.
I do this all the time. It's so easy to click "Maps" on my iPhone, search for what I want, and get red pushpins indicating nearby places that match my search. I just click one of the pushpins to get crucial information that can seal the deal: phone number, website, and street address.
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Free SEO Tools
Attracting more traffic to your website isn't magic; it just looks that way. When you choose -- and use -- the right monitoring and analysis tools, you learn how people are using your website, and how to start attracting more visitors.
Search engine optimization is a complex art, and lots of self-described experts offer all kinds of advice. Not all of it is useful, or even accurate. If you're looking to improve traffic to your website, you'll want to learn from the best.
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Reputation Management: Neutralize the Bad with the Good
The social web is increasingly a place where consumers have the power -- and the platforms -- to proclaim their displeasure with companies' bad customer service. While that's not a bad thing, negative comments about your business can be a reputation nightmare.
Imagine: A disgruntled customer has blogged, filed a Ripoff Report, or said something online about a bad experience with your company. Worse yet, it's showing up when someone searches for your business name or website. This can cast doubt into the hearts (and pocketbooks) of potential customers doing research before they buy.
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These Websites Aren't as Dirty as They Sound Part 2
Some website owners intentionally choose website names that have only a marginal relationship to their brands. With a nudge and a wink, they may be hoping the provocative name will drive more traffic to their sites.
But getting more traffic from a name that doesn't accurately represent the site can bring problems. Yes, the company will probably see more website traffic -- but that traffic isn't likely to convert to sales.
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Send Bad Grammar to the Slammer
When designing or maintaining your web presence, there are a few key flaws to avoid.
Web design is not only costly it can be time consuming as well. Your site is your calling card to potential clients from every corner of the globe. Skimping on good grammar practices is a surefire way to invite editorial errors in online content. You wouldn't print business cards without proofreading the copy first. The same applies to your website.
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