Successful local online marketing includes such features as Google Maps marketing and depends largely upon a business’s website.  Design is very important, and it involves much more than creating unique visual appeal.  An essential in website design is usability.

What is usability?  It’s the ease with which a website can be used.  The best websites do all the work for visitors, making it simple for them to find the information they’re looking for.  The presentation of each page is an important part of usability because detail truly does matter.

Great content on a website can be obscured if it’s placed in such a way that site visitors are disinterested in reading.  In other words, large chunks of unbroken text are not user friendly and will not achieve effective local online marketing.

The layout of text on each page should always be done with consideration of the fact that visitors want to be able to scan through information without having to do in-depth reading.

Place important information bites, such as headings, strategically on the page.  Set each one apart in some way so that the eyes naturally fall there.  This can be done with the use of larger fonts with high-contrast colors or with icons.

Another usability feature is to avoid unpleasant surprises.  Don’t post an icon that looks like a button unless it actually is a button.  Make it easy to identify where the links on the page are located.

While you’re making them easy to identify, make sure the links are large enough that it doesn’t require extra time just to get the mouse over the right spot.  There are simple design tricks which can add “padding” to a diminutive link so that it’s an easier target.

Firms that consider usability and include Google Maps marketing are delivering complete website packages with visitor appeal.  And if a site search is also built in, users will like it even better.

Getting involved in local online marketing is a foreign idea for many small business owners.  Just the thought of setting up a website for the purposes of marketing small businesses online can be enough to create stress.  To help take the guesswork out of it, here are a few ideas for content you may want to include on your website.

It’s always advisable to have an “About” section on your website.  Some suggestions follow for what to include about your business, though not all are ideal for everyone:

• Where your company is located
• How and when your company started
• Who the owners are
• What the mission of the company is
• What the purpose of the business is
• Answer basic who, what, when, where, and how questions
• Include any awards you’ve received
• Write about any special recognition you’ve received

Contact information should be prominently displayed.  Including an easy-to-spot address and phone number lends credibility to your business.

Testimonials are always a good idea for marketing small businesses online.  If you have loyal customers who are willing to share their satisfaction with your products or services, get their permission to post them on your website.  Or, if you’ve received notes or e-mails that are complimentary, include them on your website with the initials of the people who sent them.

Include a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section.  If you don’t already have a list of FAQs compiled, give some thought to standard questions customers ask.  Make the questions and answers accessible on your website, and consumers will appreciate it.

How-to information is always a useful local online marketing tool.  The more value you add to your website, the more interest customers will have in your site and your business.  Choose how-to information that’s related to your industry.  This type of content displays your professionalism and interest in providing benefits for your customers.

Have you wondered how important having a website is?  If you have, here’s your answer:  Having a website is as important to a business as having wheels is for a car.  It’s what you need if  you really want to enjoy long-term success.

Your website is your gateway for engaging in local online marketing, which is an opportunity too great to be measurable.

Google Maps marketing is just one of the great Internet tools that can help consumers find you.  If they find the location of your business but no website, you’ve most likely lost an opportunity.

With a website, you provide a way of showcasing your business 24/7.  Rather than simply being found in a certain building on a certain street at certain times, you can be found on the Internet by anyone anywhere at any time.

A person who’s on the other side of the world could be planning to visit your city and decide to stop by your business, based on your website.

Using your website, you can collect e-mail addresses which provide another marketing opportunity.  You could launch e-mail marketing campaigns that entice customers to take advantage of discounts and promotions.

Online marketing can be much more cost-effective and inexpensive than traditional print advertising campaigns.

When you connect with online strategies such as Google Maps marketing, you can make direct sales that you wouldn’t have made without a website.

You can share your URL with consumers.  This is another way to connect with potential buyers, many of whom prefer to shop online.

While you’re carrying out your strategy for local online marketing success, you could find outrageous success which would never have happened without a website.  This kind of achievement is called “going viral.”  It’s strictly an online phenomenon.

The most important reason that you must get a website for your business is that the vast majority of consumers prefer to search for businesses online.  The number of people who shop via the Internet is expected to continually increase at a remarkable rate.

Effectively marketing small businesses online involves basic components and lofty goals.

A few of the fundamental steps for getting your business found online include:

• Search engine optimization (SEO) of your website
• Google Maps marketing
• Link building
• Development of quality site content that’s consistently updated

Social media marketing (SMM) is another tool for marketing small businesses online that should not be ignored.  The best reason to apply energy toward effective SMM is that it’s typically the medium through which viral success is found.

“Going viral” is the loftiest goal of online marketing efforts.  It’s the online marketing equivalent of winning the Super Bowl, being awarded an Oscar, or winning a lottery worth millions.

If something “goes viral” on the Internet, that means it receives thousands and sometimes even millions of hits within days and continues to gain visitors.  This type of exposure can win a person or business overnight as well as long-term fame and/or financial success.  The viral phenomenon occurs through Internet sharing, whether via e-mail or social media networks such as YouTube.

How can you go viral?  Well, there are different strategies that have worked in the past.  Cover the basics of online marketing such as SEO and Google Maps marketing.  Then post a video, photo, or story that’s humorous, controversial, shocking, or irreverent.  The one thing that all viral successes have in common is that they are incredibly sharable.

Underlying principles that can be found in most viral posts are honesty, respect for the audience, and a sense of shock and awe.

Creating an Internet post that really creates buzz can be tough.  Think of it as watching a lineup of comediennes.  Some connect with the audience beautifully, and others are lame.

Viral successes strike the perfect balance between being creative and being transparent.  If viewers feel manipulated, they probably won’t be motivated to share the post with others.

Businesses should always keep reputation management in mind.  Attempting to go viral shouldn’t be at the expense of consumer confidence.

The rush among businesses to perfect search engine optimization (SEO) in order to rank high in search engines is comparable to the California gold rush of the mid-1800s.

During the California Gold Rush, over half a million from all over the world went to California to try and strike it rich.

In the same way, countless people online are trying to make it to the top of search engine results pages (SERPs).  What has been discovered is that keywords are the ticket to the top of SERPs.  In other words, keywords are essentially the online version of pure gold.

Websites have to correctly utilize keywords in order to be found on SERPs.  When a person gets overly ambitious with the keywords, their gold becomes fool’s gold because overstuffing of keywords is usually detected by the search bots and loses favor.  The fact is, the overstuffing of keywords causes loss of position in search results.

The top two secrets to turning keywords into online gold are (1) to use them organically and (2) to use them in the places where search bots are looking.

The most important place for keywords is in title tags.  Each page should have its own unique title tag using a keyword.

But without good content, title tags don’t carry much weight.  For a website to rank high with search engines, there must be quality content that is consistently refreshed with new material.

Backlinks are also essential for gaining a good spot on SERPs.  Work on building a network of good quality backlinks using your top keyword phrases as your links.  If keywords are SEO gold, backlinks are silver.

Did you know that there are many types of social media on the Internet, and virtually all of them could be useful for marketing purposes? Rather than being overwhelmed by the possibilities, enjoy identifying those online marketing strategies that work best for your company. Since most of the sites are free to join, what’s not to like about the social media circus? The following are just a few; there are many more.

In the center ring, there are the social websites such as Facebook and MySpace. These sites are designed to accommodate relationship-building and sharing between friends and family. Facebook has half a billion members, and every connection you make extends your visibility. The possibilities are awe-inspiring.

In the second ring of the social media circus are bookmarking sites. When the user of a bookmarking site finds a web page they like and want to share it with others and also store it, they bookmark that page. Among the choices of bookmarking sites are del.ici.ous and Digg.

In the third ring of the social media you find video sharing. Online videos are a quickly growing medium that is popular with search engines. Not only that, but people looking for a local business tend to favor the ones with videos on their websites.

Just as there are acrobats occupying the space above the rings, the social media world has a medium that has been soaring since its recent inception; and that medium is microblogging. Twittering involves writing a message that is 140 characters long at the most, and the number of Twitterers is growing at a rate that amazes.

As online behaviors continue to evolve, videos are emerging as a highly effective marketing tool. On local searches, sites with videos get more customer click-through. As an added bonus, sites with videos get upgraded ranking on search engines. How expensive is it to create a video, and is it feasible to save on costs by producing the video yourself?

Producing a do-it-yourself marketing video is a viable venture, even for businesses with tight budgets.

You first need to decide what the focus of your video is. Do you want, for example, to promote the benefits of a new product, increase traffic to your website, or demonstrate your expertise in your field of business? For your video to have any kind of impact, there must be a clear focus.

Figure out who your target audience is and write your script with them in mind. Keep the video short. Think about what your audience enjoys watching and establish the tone and text of your script with viewer appeal in mind.

A good video camera is important, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. The Flip Ultra HD is very reasonably priced and creates high quality film. The Creative Vado and Kodak Zi8 are also good choices.

Excellent sound is very important; a video won’t be considered high quality without good sound. If possible, use an external microphone when you film your video.

Lighting is also essential. You don’t want a light shining directly onto someone’s face. Keep lighting in mind as you choose your location.

There are free software programs that you can use to edit your video, such as Movie Maker on Windows or iMovie on Mac computers.

After you’ve created and posted your marketing video, another great advantage to this online medium is that you can track results. If it looks like your video isn’t making an impression, you can try again with a different plan of action. It’ll be worth it, if you get it right.

The majority of business owners have figured out the importance of search engine optimization (SEO), which can land their websites at the top of the search results page when consumers look for related keywords. Getting SEO right can significantly improve the flow of cash into your business.

Guru Marketing Group stays on top of the latest SEO methods.

While creating a design with visual appeal that will attract consumers is important, it doesn’t necessarily have an impact on SEO. We understand the technical aspects to the setup of a website that can give the site better ranking on search engines.

For instance, if your site incorporates a lot of Flash components, be sure that a text-based description resides in the HTML. Otherwise, the search bots may not pick up on the keywords. For SEO purposes, the best type of homepage is one that’s rich in descriptions and that links to the site’s main content.

Another effective SEO strategy is to dedicate a page to the top keywords people use to search for your type of business. The page can serve two important purposes:
1. It can demonstrate to site visitors that you know your business and can perform the services they’re interested in.
2. It allows you to write text that’s keyword-rich while at the same time being natural. There needs to be legitimacy to the use of keywords or the search bots will detect unfair play and give your site lower ranking on the search results page.

Another great SEO tip is to connect your articles to social media, which opens up the opportunity for lots of keyword-rich backlinks.

The rapidly changing online world can be intimidating, and that’s especially true for a lot of business owners when it comes to social media. Effectively jumping into the online discussion involves strategy and commitment, and the benefits can be huge.

Before you choose which type of social media you’re going to use, figure out both who your target audience is and what best reaches them. Research should be able to reveal whether your audience is more active on Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter and whether they are very active with blogging or some type of online gaming.

Make a clear determination of your objective. Is it your goal to improve your ranking on search engines, increase awareness of a new product, or simply to drive sales? There’s no way to measure results if you don’t first establish what exactly you’re aiming for.

Once you’ve chosen which of the social media you’re going to use on your website and why, you can decide on a specific strategy. Determine who will be responsible to maintain your website and who or what will be the source for content. Establish the tone that you’ll use, whether it will be informative, casual, or entertaining. In your online communications, will you speak as a brand, a group, or an individual?

After you’ve done all the preparation and launched your social media campaign, be sure to continue the communication consistently. And analyze the results in order to make needed changes for greater effectiveness. The ability to measure results is one of the many advantages of online marketing. Other benefits of a successful social media campaign include:
• Improved ranking on search engines
• Building a loyal client base
• Increasing brand awareness
• Affordability
• Building credibility
• Connecting you with leaders in your field

In today’s socially plugged-in business environment, a little positive word-of-mouth can go a long way. Even if it’s just on your website, some favorable testimonials can give your business a welcome sheen of success and positive results. They provide social proof, letting your potential clients know that you have a history of providing what you promise in your marketing materials, sales copy, and conversations. It shows that they can trust you and justifies their purchases.

Although most of us understand the importance of testimonials, I still meet many clients who are uncomfortable asking for them. They feel that testimonials should just happen naturally—that happy customers and clients should want to provide a positive review without being prompted. While this does happen sometimes, the fact is that most clients need a little nudge.

To ensure that you get results, you might want to give your clients that nudge at specific times, such as when:

• you’ve solved their problem
• they’ve achieved success through your offering
• they express that they’re happy with your work
• they thank you profusely
• you successfully deliver a product on time

At that moment, ask if they would be willing to share their story with your potential clients. If they agree to do so, inform them that you’ll send an email with a testimonial request.

Another option is to provide them with a survey at the end of a project, or when your transaction is complete. Not everyone will fill out the survey, but those who are particularly happy with the result (or particularly unhappy) are very likely to do so.

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