Why have a blog for business?
Why have a blog for business? What can a blog achieve that a static website can’t?
These are questions often asked by business owners and an extraordinary amount of business owners are yet to implement a blog into their marketing strategy.
Many business owners think that once you’ve built your website, the traffic will just come. People will magically find you and your business will boom.
The reality is that without spending a lot of money on SEO services or other forms of advertising, the traffic just won’t come – unless you try something else.
Blogging is growing in popularity for both individuals and business alike because they realise that the more content you add to your website, the more people who will visit. And there is a reason for this.
The search engines are constantly trawling through the internet looking for content and they just love blogs because that’s what they’re there for – holding content!
As a business owner, a blog is an inexpensive way to get your business out there in the world of the internet, and with regular blog posts (at least once a week), you can be assured that you will be well placed to attract people to your website.
The following tips will get you started:
- As mentioned above, post to your blog at least once a week.
- Offer tips and advice to make your blog posts useful and relevant to those reading each post.
- Stay up to date with current events or holidays so you can blog about items relevant to these times.
- If you don’t have the time (or the energy!) to do this yourself, hire somebody to write your blog posts and submit them for you (we can help).
- Be sure to insert keywords into your post title and body so that you’re sure to come up when that term is searched for.
If you begin posting to your blog on a regular basis, be sure to monitor your website traffic, and take note of the blog posts that are getting the most “hits”. Learn from this analysis!
For more information about how we can help you, visit http://globalwebmarketingservices.com/contact/ and submit a request for a quote.
Are you targeting the right keywords?
What keywords are your site optimised for? Are these keywords going to bring you the customers you need, with the money to pay for your services? Have you put yourself inside the heads of your customers to find out what they’re typing into Google and other search engines in order to find the services you provide?
It was a huge surprise to me when I started out in this business to realise that even multi million dollar companies struggled to get it right when it came to keyword density on their websites.
My husband works for one such organisation and what surprised me most that when I did an analysis of their website I found that not only did they rank mainly for their company name, but they didn’t rank at all for terms I would personally have typed into a search form in order to find them!
Let me give you an example as to why this is so bad. Let’s say you’re an accounting firm in Sydney. And let’s say your name is ABC Accountants.
If you’re like many businesses, you’re going to have the term “ABC Accountants” appearing all over your website right?
But what if I were new to Sydney and I was looking for an accountant? I certainly would not type “ABC Accountants” into Google, but instead would type something like “accountants in Sydney” or “Sydney accountants” or similar.
Do you get what I mean?
I offer a free 10 minute website analysis that covers info such as this, and points out to you what you could improve in the way of marketing your products or services online. For more information, or to book in a time, please Contact Me, or call me on 0404 859 883 during Aussie business hours. I have clients all over the world, so please don’t feel you cannot work with me if you’re not here in Australia – technology is a wonderful thing!
Michelle’s Marketing Tip of the Day
I attended a workshop last night and during the networking part of the evening, I found myself telling the same story to several women who were having issues getting their websites "out there".
I was talking about the importance of getting in front of your prospects each and every day, and one woman responded that she already has enough "junk" in her inbox each day, and was worried that others would delete her emails as she did for those she received each day.
Here's what I advised her (I suggest this for social media too, although I was specifically talking about emails to this lady):
When sending emails out to your database, keep them short and to the point, and most importantly, make them USEFUL!
Here's what I mean.
I currently subscribe to a monthly newsletter from a businesswoman who has a conceirge service. Her monthly emails aren't just to sell her services however…
Instead, she sends out regular household tips!
So her email starts off with the usual "Hello", and then she gives you a tip for making your life easier. They're usually household tips, like quick and easy ways to clean your computer keyboard, or how to get the corners of your rug to stop curling – stuff like that.
This is all said and done in one to two sentences.
After that she talks about what they're up to, the services they offer and any specials they have going.
I'm a compulsive deleter of "junk" mail too, but I always read her emails, because I know I am going to learn something new and useful!
So, if you've not got a lead capture form on your website yet so that you can grow your database and get yourself in front of your prospects on a regular basis, now is the time to start! Your list is going to be your most valuable asset, and they're more likely to buy from you than somebody off the street.
If you need help setting up a lead capture form on your site, it's inexpensive and easy to do, and my team can certainly help you out, so please Contact me for more information!
Articles to drive traffic
As an avid article marketer myself, I fully understand how well article marketing works – if you’re consistent.
About a year ago I did a bit of a marketing experiment just to see how powerful article marketing as a tool to drive traffic (and sales) could work. I also decided to target one of the biggest niches around – weight loss!
I figured that if I could compete and get sales in the weight loss niche, then I could make money in any niche. So I started off with one central blog "hub" and I created three secondary blogs, which I linked back to the hub. (You might want to check out our Link Wheel page to get an idea of just how big you can take this – the Link Wheel is actually MUCH more advanced!).
From there I began posting articles every day. I posted one main article to the hub site, another original article to an article directory and then summaries of the articles on the secondary blogs.
After 4 days my site was ranked in Google and I had my first sale (of a weight loss affiliate product) in 11 days.
Not bad for a brand new site huh? I don’t do too much with that website these days because I’m so busy with other projects, but I still get regular traffic, sign ups to my freebie on offer, and in Ezine Articles, my weight loss articles are still attracting more views than any of my others!
Because I was adding content every day and creating backlinks to my hub site through the article directory and my secondary blogs, I automatically began to attract traffic. My website contained useful relevant information so visitors were inclined to take a look around and maybe sign up for the newsletter (or whatever I was offering). I became an authority.
I was writing these articles myself however, hence the reason I stopped promoting the site because I had other projects to do. But imagine if you had somebody else do all of this for you?! Imagine how much time you would save!
For information on some of the many services we have on offer, visit our Services page or Contact me for more information about how we can help you.
Article marketing to build credibility and trust
Article marketing is by far one of the best ways (I believe) in which to build your credibility and trust with your prospects. Posting regular blog posts, submitting articles to article directories, and of course using social media to promote your work, are just some of the ways in which you can get your name out there and make yourself known to your prospects.
There are certain things I recommend you do when it comes to article marketing to gain the most benefit, as follows:
- Post an article on your blog at least every few days – once a day is best if you can manage it.
- Post a unique version of your article to an article directory – be sure to include links back to your website!
- Your article must be educational and informative – you want people to gain some knowledge after reading your article.
- Try to include some keywords in your article and article title, being careful not to “overdo” it. Google can tell when you’re “keyword stuffing”, so it’s just not worth it. Google ranks sites that contain useful, relevant information.
- If you’re unable to write articles yourself (due to lack of time, inclination or ability), then outsource it. There is no rule that says you must write your own articles! My team can help.
- Of course it is important that what you write (or have written for you) is correct. It’s pointless writing about a topic if every “fact” you write about is incorrect.
- Your article must be unique. Don’t bother copying the work of somebody else, because it’s a breach of Copyright for starters, and it’s likely Google will ignore you again!
By writing useful, relevant content and posting it to your blog, article directories and anywhere else you can think of, you’re getting your name out there as an “expert” in your industry. People who see and read your articles regularly will get to know you, and their trust in you will build over time.
This is especially so if you’re able to provide your readers with useful and helpful information, to help answer their questions or solve their problems – this is ultimately what they’re looking for. Do this and they’re more likely to buy from you in the future, so it’s important you keep that in mind when thinking up topics to write about.
Online marketing can be done in so many ways, and like most business owners, if you’re too busy to worry about the online marketing aspect of your business, as well as the day to day running of your business, then Contact me to see how my team can help you.
What are your prospects searching for?
As a business owner with a website, it is of course important that for your website to act as an effective marketing tool, your prospects must be able to find you online. If they can’t find you amongst the billions upon billions of websites out there, then what’s the point in having one?
So how do you make your website stand out from the crowd? How do you appear in the search results in Google when somebody types in what they’re searching for?
One key thing you must consider when setting up your website is what’s going on inside the minds of your prospects. If they were to be in need of what you offer through your business, then what would they type into the search form? What phrase would they use?
Recent research has shown that 30% of all queries people make online include a particular state, city or post code. Hmmm… interesting!
Now why is THAT so important?
Just think about it…. If you’re a dentist in Brisbane, then isn’t it logical that your prospects would type "Brisbane dentist" into Google, and not just "dentist"?
The same goes for almost any other industry or service and is especially important if you do offer products and servics only available locally.
So why is it then, that so few businesses market online with this in mind?
If you’ve not done this, then what can you do?
Firstly, if you’ve not got a Wordpress blog, then get one. Google loves them for starters, and they’re probably the best thing you can have to start building keywords around your local search terms (such as Brisbane dentist, or Sydney lawyer for example).
Once you have your blog established, it’s time to post regular, informative content on your blog. Ensure your local search term appears regularly in the title of your blog posts, and also within the content.
You could write something with a title such as, "Brisbane dentist tells you how to whiten your teeth naturally", and then within the blog post itself, write something like, "Brisbane denist, Dr X suggests that….". You can then finish the article with something like, "If you would like more information about Brisbane dentist Dr X can help you, call us on….".
It’s not that hard and if you don’t have the time/inclination/energy to do any of this, don’t worry! My team can help you with that, no problem! In fact, what’s great about any online marketing strategy is that you really don’t have to lift a finger (except to delegate the work), because the rest can be done for you.
I hope I’ve given you food for thought here – what is your marketing strategy? Are you incorporating local search terms into your keyword research and application? Do you have a blog attached to your website?
There is so much more to this than just keywords – but having this local search knowledge will help you to really target your local buyers and massively boost your profits.
For more information on how my team and I can help you, please Contact me to arrange an obligation-free consultation.
Why is Offline Advertising Losing its Effectiveness?
I was talking to a colleague and friend of mine earlier today who told me about a 2008 survey that identified the reasons behind why traditional offline marketing methods were losing their effectiveness.
Did you know that the internet has surpassed print Yellow Pages and newspaper advertising as the primary way in which people search for products and services?
If you look at your own habits, you’re probably not surprised by this. When was the last time you dug out the Yellow Pages book to search for a product or service? Unless you’re one of the few households that doesn’t have a computer and internet connection, it’s probably been a while, right? Why dig out that huge yellow book, when you can type your question onto the screen and have an answer within seconds?!
No flipping through pages required either!
Ok, so the fact that fewer people are using print media to find products and services is one reason for the decline in effectiveness, but what other reasons are there?
Cost is usually a factor. As a business owner you’re looking for value. No matter what you pay for advertising, you want results from it right? Now if less people are using print media to find services such as yours, then technically you should be paying less for advertising, but the reality is that you’re probably paying more and more.
As savvy business owners realise the power of marketing online and how it can save them up to thousands of dollars per year in advertising, all the while while driving more and more customers to their business, why on earth would they choose the older "traditional" forms of advertising if it’s not going to give them the same results?
If your business is not yet online, then I suggest you seriously begin to think about getting it "out there" because that’s what your competitors are doing.
Need help? Myself and my team are here to make the entire process of advertising your business an easy, hassle-free process. We’ll handle the lot, from building you a website (if you don’t already have one), to marketing to the masses!
Please Contact me for a free no-obligation consultation.
What is all the Fuss About Facebook?
Ok, so what IS Facebook, first of all?
To put it in simple terms, Facebook is a social media site that allows individuals to interact with each other by sharing photos, videos, messages and playing online games, amongst other things.
Facebook has grown very quickly and continues to grow at a rapid rate even today.
Did you know that by 2010 Gen Y will outnumber the Baby Boomers and that a whopping 96% of them have joined a social network, such as Facebook or Myspace or Twitter?
Did you know it took around 38 years for radio to reach 50 million users?
But it took only NINE MONTHS for Facebook to add 100 MILLION USERS!!!
There are so many users of Facebook that if it were a country, it’d be the world’s fourth largest, after China, India and the US! Now that’s a pretty big potential audience huh?
Now consider this…
What if you were to deliver an outstanding service to somebody who happened to be a Facebook user? What if your service was so absolutely fabulous that they wanted to tell everyone they knew about it?
Through what means do you think they’ll do it?
Remember though – if you give them terrible service, the news will travel a lot faster!
Facebook also allows you to create your own "Fan page" for your business. It’s just another way in which you can post updates about your business or upcoming specials, and you can even link your fan page to Twitter, so your twitter status is updated automatically.
The beauty of using Facebook for your business is that you are allowing your potential customers to see the "personal" side of you – you’re giving yourself a face and a name, and this creates trust.
If they trust you, then they’re more likely to buy from you.
If you haven’t set up your own Facebook account yet, then what are you waiting for??!!
If you’ve not got the time (or the inclination) to do it yourself, Contact me and my team can do the whole lot for you.
Why is a Blog so Good for Business?
I’m just one of many internet marketers around who sprouts the importance of having a blog. I believe every business should have one if they want to stay at the top of their game.
The reason why having a blog is so important comes purely down to marketing.
For starters, Google LOVES a regularly updated Wordpress blog and will quickly increase your rankings if you do things right.
Not only that, but people (your potential customers) tend to come back to a blog that provides them with something of value.
If you’re able to regularly post useful, relevant content on your blog each week, people will come back. In fact, these people will begin to trust you as time goes on and will be more likely to buy from you than somebody who has visited your website for the first time.
So if you’ve not "blogged" before (don’t worry – it’s easy to do once you’re set up!), then today is the day you get started. You can link it to your main business website, and link back from your blog, so your readers can read about your products and services on a regular basis.
Make a point to post a blog post at least once a week, but daily is even better. If you don’t have the time to do it yourself, then of course you can outsource (I can help you with this).
Ok, so go get a blog linked to that website of yours and let’s see what a difference it will make to your sales!
One Typical Brisbane eCommerce Mistake
If you’re a business owner everywhere (not just Brisbane – that’s just where I’m located!), you’re probably making the same typical Brisbane eCommerce mistake.
Is this you?
- You advertise
- You get a response, and some prospects may buy, although the rest who may like your product/service but don’t want it now, are lost forever.
This is typical of most businesses who spend countless thousands of dollars each year in advertising.
What’s happening here is that business owners like yourself are using dying media to advertise and this is getting less and less effective. It’s killing your returns.
Consumers are tightening their belts, and what worked during the boom is working less and less now.
Businesses all around you are failing and that is because they are unable to adapt to both the new economic reality and the new marketing reality. They’re struggling to attract enough customers to keep their business alive, let alone growing, and that’s really sad because there is a MUCH better way to do this… So it’s not too late to change what you’re doing!
What if you could capture your customer’s details when they were “hot” – the exact moment they showed some interest in your products or services, while sitting in their home or office? What if you could send them automatic follow up messages directly, to encourage them to come to your business, or to regularly remind them of your changing offers?
You will remain fresh in their mind, as you regularly keep them up to date with your offers.
Following up with your prospects has been statistically proven to increase sales in every single industry where it has been used, and what’s great about this strategy, is that it is cost-effective and easy to implement!
By capturing the details of your prospects you’re able to bring in business from your advertising efforts almost immediately, and then weeks and even months later.
And this is only just the start!
For more information about how you can rectify the Brisbane eCommerce mistake of a lifetime (!), call Michelle Green on 0404 859 883 for an obligation-free consultation, or go to my Contact page.
And don’t worry – even if you live outside of Brisbane, thanks to modern technology I can still work with you so give me a call! 
