How to Gain Credibility in an Intangible Industry
Posted on May 16, 2007
Google, Yahoo!, YouTube and eBay are a few big name industries with one thing in common: you can not touch them. These are companies most of us rely and depend on to do everyday things. But those of use who regularly use them probably never stop and think that our day to day activities rely on impalpable businesses. The Google’s and Yahoo’s have amassed huge fortunes by creating programs and networks for all walks of life, but the real question is how do they garner such a huge following if no one can touch their products?
It all boils down to credibility.
I work for a small Atlanta search engine marketing (SEM) firm and we encounter the same trust issues common to intangible business. Most things in the SEM world can’t be touched; they are definitely seen, but without an internet connection, or a connection at all to the customers of our clients, whom we indirectly target, no one can get a physical grasp on what we do.
So, how do we make ourselves a credible and reliable source for business and information in the digital world?
Here are some tried and true tactics for gaining credibility:
1)Establish yourself as an expert
Write articles that display your expertise in a certain area of interest; this may be for blogs, online articles or press releases. Once you have the article, submit it to reputable sites. Anyone can publish an article nowadays, the key is submitting a quality article to sites that review articles before publishing them (see number 4).
2)Get testimonials from current and past clients
What better way to showcase your current and past successes than getting client testimonials. Once you have a few testimonials from satisfied clients, be sure to strategically place them on your website, blog or use them as article “power” quotes. The more good things people have to say about your business, the less reason consumers will have to doubt your motives.
3)Get quoted
This is something every business man or woman dreams of; they have said something so earth shattering that it gets quoted in major media. This will come once expertise is established, but being quoted in something like Forbes, Newsweek or any other magazine relevant to your industry, will give your credibility a huge boost.
4)This relates to number one but, contribute articles to websites like Adotas, TalentZoo, Buzzle or Helium.
These sites allow you to become your own author and editor, but they publish the content based on how well you write and your knowledge of the subject. They won’t take just any old article off the street. Sites like these open new avenues for credibility. The articles written for these sites must be original, currently unpublished material.
5)Contribute material to industry forums
You can not only gain new knowledge by posting topics for discussion in forums, but by providing helpful advice, you are proving your worth to that forum and also showing that you know what you’re talking about.
6)The Press is your friend
These are the men and women with whom your credibility rides, so treat them kindly. Research their articles, what they write and how they write it before submitting anything for syndication. That you know how the reporter writes will not only impress them, but may give them more of a reason to help you. Nothing makes a reporter angrier than a pushy marketer who submits an article about their toy making company when the reporter covers a home and garden beat.
Credibility is an essential building block to a good and successful business. It could be said that having credibility provides incentive to buy. Consumers possess more confidence in an intangible product if the company behind it is trustworthy. When potential clients have trust in your business you may see great profit.
Author Bio: Katy Orell is a recent graduate of Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. She obtained her degree in Communications and currently works as Marketing Coordinator for TwentySix2 Marketing in Atlanta, GA.
Approved by Jaybodean- Create Online BusinessTags: seo news, affordable search engine optimization, seo tool, organic search engine optimization
Filed Under Search Engine Marketing | Leave a Comment
How to Choose the Right Web Development Partner
Posted on May 12, 2007
How to choose the right IT company?
How to select the right software partner for my job?
What should I look for when I want to outsource my web development work?
Is it safe to outsource my software / web development work?
If you are concerned about any such issues and are hunting for answers then go on and read the entire stuff.
With rising needs of web development industry, it becomes imperative to choose the right partner for a successful project. The choice of partner will very much impact the overall delivery and implementation for your online presence on World Wide Web. Some people just pick a partner from one of the first few people who contact them while others make their selection based on the prices offered to them from various companies/individuals. What people most often do not consider is the ability and past delivery record of their partner. What’s most important is not just to see the project happen on papers, but to visualize it happen in real in the given conditions.
How long has the partner been in business?
Have they dealt with any customers in your region/area?
Does your partner have the capability to deliver what you are looking for?
Does the partner have technical competence to warn you about any potential flaws or problems that can crop up at a later stage?
Does your partner take care of quality and minor details to bring in professionalism in work?
Has the partner done any similar work in past or something which is comparable and equally complex?
Are the timelines give to you feasible and will be followed?
What happens if deliveries are not made on time for your work?
Are the prices offered to you feasible and to market standards so as to cover the development costs and build a long term relationship?
Is the partner stable and will be in business once your work is done?
Is the partner or their associate traceable in case you need them urgently?
Has the partner had any satisfied customers in the past for any services they have done?
What kind of after sales support will be provided assuming work has been done and delivered?
If you get satisfactory answers for at least 80% of the questions above, then I think you are in good hands. Some people will not be able to provide satisfactory answers to most of these questions. If you land up working with them, the project is bound to fail. We suggest you to continue your search in such cases and think twice before starting any sort of work with non-professional partners.
While you are searching, take a look at http://www.rginfotechnology.com and see for yourself if they are worth it. With many years of experience they may be able to help you and end your search.
Author Bio: Rohit is CEO & Promoter of RG Infotech and good article writer in the field of information technology.
Approved by Bush- Create Online BusinessTags: outsourcing project, why outsourcing, it outsourcing, advantages of outsourcing, call center outsourcing, outsourcing solutions
Filed Under Web Design | Leave a Comment
Website Design for Small Businesses
Posted on May 12, 2007
Designing for any online business is a vital and serious issue as it says a lot about the business, its owners and product or services. It is the thing which keeps a customer on a website and its easiness compels and convinces him to buy a product. So it is important to have a professional look.
No doubt launching a website for small business is a hilly task. To achieve it you better do some research on your needs; the site purpose, the target audience and finally look for skilled website designers, developers and graphic designers or a designing company. There are many different website design companies, offering different facilities. However for gaining an effective internet presence what should be the look of site of small businesses? This article will guide you in understanding the structure for your site specific design. Keep this article as a reference point. When you go through the process of development then check out each part to have an effective web site for your products and services in accordance with your target audience.
Choosing web designer- Don’t go by the cheap web design. This will certainly diminish your professional image among potential customers other than financial losses. To have a professional web design, don’t compare web designers by their price; always look at your requirements regarding the type of service, internet marketing and updates you needs w.r.t. growth.
Domain Name
Choose simple, short and relevant domain name for your site. Don’t get settle down on anything to get your web space as every word on your web site has relevancy in its success. Being a serious online venture you should register it for at least two years. You can get your own domain name by paying as little as $ 17-18 for 2 year registration with ICANN approved sites such as Register . You can find out if the name you want is still available by using the free search tool on the sites.
Web Hosting
Web hosting can be obtained free of cost from content portal sites such as Yahoo! Geocities . Such sites invite users to establish Web sites on their domain in order to create a critical mass of core content on their online property. The user does not have to pay for service because it is subsidized by banner advertising. As they do not charge, they offer limited service depth and relative quality. They do not even provide customized hosting services where domain names are personalized.
So, avoid getting lured by the free hosting providers as nothing is really free. It mostly retards the downloading speed of web pages. Even avoid messing around with small time web hosting. Affiliate yourself with a reputable company that provides top-notch service and have the resources to provide fast and reliable servers.
Text Content
Content of the site deserves utmost attention as it’s the words that people read, it’s the words that call people to action, and it’s the words that sell. The rest also helps, but a site with poor content is an as bad as a site without any words.
Keywords
Order to end up high on search engine use the relevant keywords and place them accordingly on a web page. The number of times each word appears on a web page is the factors that determine how high you end up in search results.
Regarding resolution
Sure that your pages should work at any resolution, from 800×600 to 1280×1024 and beyond. Currently the most widely used screen size is 1024 x 768. Of course, the general guideline is to optimize for your target audience’s most common resolution, so the size will change in the future. You shall see the statistics for the month of January for the last 2 years provided by w3schools seem to reflect the general trend we are seeing on the Web.
Year Higher 1024 x 768 800 x 600 640x 480 Unknown
2007(January) 26% 54% 14% 0% 6%
2006(January) 17% 57% 20% 0% 6%
It’s always safer to keep your web site at less than 750 pixels wide as you don’t want to alienate your visitors by having them scroll to see the whole page. Make sure that that your web pages show up the same in all web browsers.
HTML Tags
You will have to make sure that your title, description, and keyword meta tags are bang on with the text on each web page you build. The linking structure of your website should have to be good as it’s easy for the visitors as well the search robots to understand the details. All of your optimized pages must be linked from the home page itself.
Graphics
It’s good to place web graphics in context with the information being presented. If you have product descriptions on your web site, then you should have the related graphic depiction next to them. Avoid using graphic that has no any relation with your text. Overusing graphics will only make the site look amateur. Make sure if you use web graphics as links that they work at all times. There is nothing worse than clicking on a graphic that does not work.
Conclusion
Basic tips for small business website are just the tip of the iceberg. You should also have to provide correct contact information plus regular updating w.r.t. your products; which I already explain in detail in my earlier articles. Web design can make or break your business. So always remember to create a site that is appealing and easy to navigate.
Your website should be like an investment and for that you are certainly going to receive a return.
Alex Roderick
The author is Business Head for The Web Design Company, http://www.webdesigningcompany.net . It deals in web site design, website redesign, flash, 3D animation, logos, Banner Adds etc.
Author Bio: Alex Roderick
The Author is the owner of a web site design Company, and providing Web Design and Development Solutions to clients across USA and UK for affordable and sensible prices.
Approved by Niko123- Create Online BusinessTags: learn web design, web design firms, advanced web design, web design directory, website design, web design atlanta, good web design
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Six Reasons Why Google AdSense is So Important to Content Sites
Posted on May 3, 2007
HOW ADSENSE WORKS.
Before you can understand why Google AdSense is so important to content sites, it is important to know how AdSense works. The concept is really simple. The publisher or the webmaster needs to inserts a java script into his webpage. Each time the page is accessed, the java script will pull advertisements from the Google server. The ads that are targeted should therefore be related to the content that is contained on the web page serving the ad. If a visitor clicks on an advertisement, the webmaster serving the ad earns a portion of the money that the advertiser is paying the Google for the click. The Google handles all the tracking and payments, providing an easy way for webmasters to display content-sensitive ads without the hassle of soliciting advertisers, collect funds, and monitor the clicks and statistics.
BENEFITS OF GOOGLE ADSENSE
• One of the most impressive advantages of AdSense is that Google has a huge database of advertisers that are looking for space. Because of this huge base of advertisers, AdSense can provide you with a steady stream of advertisers that can match just about any type of content that you can think of. Advertisers are segregated based on product, service, geography, and company size. This helps to both provide local advertisement opportunities to companies, as well as provide your site with relevant content.
• Another no cost benefit that AdSense offers is the use of their Google search box technology. You can add this feature to your website, which will encourage visitors to stay at your website longer, and it will encourage them to return to your site. You can even earn money from this technology. When a visitor enters a keyword or keywords the results appear in a box at the top of your web page. You earn money for every ad that they click on that was generated from their search.
• In addition to these benefits you also are able to control what kinds of ads that you want displayed on your website. You can filter out ads from specific company genres, and you can also filter out companies that compete with what you are trying to sell. You can also design the look of the ads that are displayed on your website. You can choose their color pallet, layout, and size of the ads that are displayed, and where they appear on your website. Finally, you can customize your AdSense to run on only certain pages of your website. All of these options allow you to stay in control of how AdSense is displayed to your customers.
• There isn’t a fee to participate in AdSense, however, you do need to invest time in setting up AdSense features and filters. You will also have to pay for the design, hosting, and domain name of your website. These set up costs should be minimal depending on the complexity of your web site. There are free website hosting sites available and often home page hosting is provided as a free service with your ISP. To determine if your ISP offers free hosting and web page design assistance you should contact your ISP representative.
• While most ads that promote this type of affiliate program boast of fast and easy money, if you truly want to make money with this program there is going to be substantial work involved. In order for you to make money, you will need to attract visitors to your website. To do this you will need to provide your viewers with quality content that appeals to a large audience. One popular way to do this is to provide a blog of current events, issues, opinion, commentary, etc. Another way is to produce original content that people will drool over. Be creative. There is a lot of competition out there, so learn how to produce content that will top the search engine results, and learn how to use keywords to your advantage in order to attract more viewers.
• Adsense is essential for content sites because it has come a long way in understanding the needs of publishers and webmasters that allows full ad customization. The different formatting expands the possibility of more clicks from visitors who may not be aware of what they are clicking on. Thus making them take the next step of clicking on a relevant ad. This way the people behind Adsense will get their content read, and you make a profit.
Author Bio: ABOUT AUTHOR
I have got more than 3 years of experience in the field of software and application development. I have developed a variety of desktop and web applications myself some of them are:
1: SCHOOL AUTOMATION SUITE
2: HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
3: FOOTBALL LEAGUE MANAGER
4: REALTORS ONLINE
5: CAP (CLEVER ACCOUNTING PACKAGE).
I recently launched my own article directory http://www.key2article.com which consists of free resources and articles of wide variety of categories. It is a best suited directory for authors to promote themselves. Moreover Readers can get good exposure through RSS feature. For more Details visit http://www.key2article.com
Keyword1: Benefits of Google adsense
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Tags: tips guide, adsense tracking, top paying adsense, adsense websites, search ppc
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Home Business Marketing: How Advertising Tactics Can Broaden Your MLM Network
Posted on May 3, 2007
For those who wish to broaden their Making Money MLM network but don not have the time, money, and energy to do so, a quick and dirty solution is to simply step up your advertising efforts. Take note that advertising does not necessarily mean putting up billboards or placing ads on the TV or radio. It also means doing a number of little things to help your clients recognize and remember you.
If you have advertised in any type of medium before, then you must aware that advertising costs can quickly pile up. If the advertising is done as part of a home business marketing campaign, you simply cannot afford to spend too much. If you did, the cost of building your Making Money MLM network will simply outweigh the potential benefits.
You may not have the resources to advertise to a national audience, but you certainly have the means to make people aware of what you are doing. There are many relatively inexpensive ways you can advertise. This article lists some of the alternatives that you can take to improve your visibility.
First, try printing out some Making Money flyers or stickers. Then, of course, you give them away. Flyers and stickers are very cost-effective, as you will only practically spend cents on each one. The real challenge will be to get people to notice them. If you now someone who is in advertising, ask them for advice regarding the templates of your mini-ads. If you don’t know anyone in the business, you can do it yourself – try to think of the ads that have stuck by you, and imitate the concepts behind them. Remember, the goal is to make you and your company interesting and unforgettable. You don’t want them to pick up a flyer or a sticker and instantly forget what it says – that defeats the purpose.
Second, advertise in the local paper. You might even start in your town’s local paper. Your MLM network’s foundation should include you, your loved ones, friends, and neighbors. Unless you have all the time in the world, it would be foolish to make the rounds one by one. Better to post an ad and have the people who are interested come to you. Again: make sure the ad is eye-catching and will make an impression on its readers.
Third, provide something for free. Obviously, when you give people something, they will sit up and pay attention. Whatever product you are offering in your MLM network program, experiment with giving away samples with potential clients. Chances are you’ll soon be showered with more attention than you usually would care to have. In the MLM network marketing business though, attention is what you want.
By using these three simple advertising ideas in your home business marketing campaign, you will boost the number of people who will become interested in joining your Making Money MLM network.
Copyright © Thomas See / Making Money Guru.com
Author Bio: Making Money Ideas and Opportunities:
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Tags: Pl articles, label private right, work from home, making money online
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