Think Big Blog

In the last post we discussed the importance of a business remaining viable and newsworthy as a part of their effort to achieve a high enough level of success. The second that people stop talking is often when any momentum begins to decline as well. This same philosophy applies to a great number of businesses including web sites. With web sites, remaining viable and newsworthy comes down to working a comprehensive marketing program inclusive of a number of elements. As we discussed, the first element included in this comprehensive plan is search engine optimization as this is essentially what will get visitors in the door. Following is:

• Substance. Search engine optimization does a web site no good if it attracts web traffic only to let them down once they get there. A web site – if it goes to the trouble of marketing itself aggressively through SEO – essentially owes their visitors the payoff of finding the products, services, and information they were promised. Those web sites that are not able to deliver will not find themselves in the game for very long.

• Marketing above and beyond. Networking is key to survival in a number of industries and the online arena is no exception. In order to keep the buzz alive, web sites must be committed to engaging in the networking practices that are effective online including reciprocal linking, posting on social and business networking sites, and promoting themselves in whatever marketing vehicle that presents itself.

Online marketing can be ambiguous and it is up to the web site owner to be creative and aggressive in their efforts. Often a web site optimization firm can be quite helpful on this front – helping web sites to think outside of the box and expand their ideas of marketing in order to be most successful.

There is a saying that people in public relations know well that essentially says that even bad press is good press. What this means is that the minute that people stop talking about you, you cease to be viable. While it doesn’t have to be to this extreme, this philosophy can easily be applied to all industries and nearly all situations in life where we are laboring to be successful. After all, when we are able to make a name for ourselves people will talk and this word of mouth – this buzz – is what will ultimately propel us forward and allow us to achieve the success we seek. When this buzz dies down, and people stop talking – stop sharing information about us – we can just as easily lose momentum and begin to slip in our quest for success.

This is a philosophy that even holds true online where web sites vie for the attention of their target audience by initially capturing the attention of the search engines and then capturing the loyalty of the visitors to the site. That’s why the marketing of a web site should be a comprehensive undertaking, inclusive of:

• SEO efforts. Search engine optimization is the key to ensuring that your target audience even finds you at all. Often with the help of a web site optimization firm, web sites are able to make sure that their site has the components that are necessary to spark the attention of the search engines and be delivered with the first one or two pages of search engine results. This high page ranking is one of the elements that allow web sites to achieve the web traffic that they need. It is the foundation of their marketing effort.

In the next post we’ll discuss the other elements that should be a part of a comprehensive marketing campaign for a web site – the purpose of which is to increase web traffic and create a buzz.

The term “old-fashioned” is hard pressed to be one that can be easily assigned to anything Internet related; after all, we haven’t been online for that long a period of time. Certainly not long enough that anything we can did in the past is something that we can refer to as old-fashioned. In truth, better terminology in this regard would be “antiquated.” Because technology is moving so fast, just as soon as we get accustomed to something it becomes out-of-date and out of touch. And so in order to survive in the most effective way possible we have to not only keep up but stay ahead of the pack. This is the rule for survival for those who are attempting to run a web site.

Search engine optimization has become the catch phrase for all efforts related to garnering web site traffic, when in reality this is only partially true. Of course, any successful web site owner knows that in order to be successful in attracting enough web traffic to stay viable they must make enough of a name for themselves on the search engines to garner a first or second page ranking within search engine results. Any page higher than that and we are essentially dead in the water as search engine users are highly unlikely to go beyond the first two pages in seeking out a web site address.

But in addition to search engine optimization – which is essentially the most important first step in gathering initial and ongoing web traffic – we should also be focused on corralling steady web traffic the “old-fashioned” way – word of mouth. What this ultimately means is that if you don’t have something worthy of looking at, worthy of sharing, and worthy of coming back to look at again, then all the search engine optimization in the world isn’t going to get you very far. To enjoy long term web traffic, get them in the door through SEO and give them something great when they get there!

In the last post we discussed the importance of consistency when it comes to search engine optimization and how it behooves a web site to perhaps work toward their SEO goals this summer in preparation for the coming fall. Working with a web site optimization firm will allow a web site to put particular plans in place that will help them achieve higher page rankings and increase web site traffic.

As we said before, a web site optimization firm will undoubtedly examine the web site as it exists so that it can make recommendations regarding those elements that should be kept and those that should be overhauled towards their SEO goal. This initial stage will surely examine the functionality and design of the site itself; something that should be appealing to visitors and allow them to navigate easily and freely throughout the site. Any roadblocks in this particular area would thwart visitors from a return visit.

A web site optimization firm will then likely implement particular search engine optimization efforts for their client so that the site is in the best position possible to achieve high page rankings and continually increase web traffic. This may include the inclusion of keyword rich content on the site – continually changing content that will spark the interest of the search engines as well as act as a resource for visitors to the site.

Additionally a web site optimization firm will help a site establish linking that will draw additional visitors to the site and establish a customized marketing plan that will help a site achieve success.

Historical timelines online are very different from that of the traditional world of business. While a bricks and mortar company that has been in existence for thirty plus years may be considered an “old” company, a web site that is just a few years old may be considered an “old” web site. This is not to say that the site should be put out to pasture; only that, in the scheme of things, the site has been around a substantial period of time considering that the Internet itself hasn’t been around that long.

Search engine optimization efforts are generally focused on very new web sites; helping them to put themselves in the best position possible to be noticed by the search engines and subsequently increase web traffic. And while it’s true that search engine optimization is important for new sites – in helping them get off the ground – it is just as important for established sites as they continue to move on and serve their customers.

In truth search engine optimization serves these two groups equally well:

New Sites – New web sites are challenged with actually building their customer base from scratch through web traffic. While word of mouth is certainly critical in this respect – and is generally forthcoming for those new web sites for which there is a general buzz – it will only take a web site so far. Search engine optimization allows the site to be at its best in terms of attracting the attention of the search engines; so that when prospective customers input particular search criteria, they are likely to receive the address for the web site in the first one or two pages of results.

Existing Sites – It is not enough for existing web sites to rest on their laurels – even if they have been successful in attracting web traffic. A web site optimization firm can help an existing web site ensure that they are continuing to take the right steps in keeping their site fresh, functional, and in the sights of the search engines.

We’ve all seen the trend online with web sites trying desperately to raise their search engine page rankings by absolutely flooding their site – and other sites – with content that has been infused with specific keywords and keyword phrases. While content is important in helping a site gain traction with their search engine optimization efforts, it is also meant for other purposes, which should not be ignored.

Content has a number of objectives in the online arena. For one, web sites have understood that in their quest to increase web site traffic they must engage the assistance of the online search engines. In so doing, they must use throughout their content those keywords that are likely to be used in a search for the services, products, and information that they offer. And so by including these keywords in their content they are able to trigger the attention of the search engines and raise their page rankings – the position in which their web site is delivered as a part of their results.

But this must be done carefully; content that has been “soaked” in keywords is likely to have the opposite effect of the writer’s intention; it will trigger the search engines as the content is likely to come off as unnatural.

The easiest way to walk this line in search engine optimization is to write for the reader because that is the secondary purpose of online content. We want the content to be something that Internet users would read anyway – something that they find interesting, informative, or entertaining; and to that content we can add the keywords that are likely to be used in a search – in a natural way. By approaching content in this way web site owners are likely to find their web site traffic is much improved – not just because they have engaged the search engines but also because they have inspired readers to return again and again.

Spending as much time as we do online we are all more than accustomed to using the search engines – the portal through which we travel in order to find the websites that we are seeking. We come to the search engines with the desire to find information, goods, or services and we seek out what we need by typing into the search engines keywords or keyword phrases that correlate to what we are looking for; the search engines – armed with these keywords - then deliver us results in the form of pages of relevant websites.

It has been shown statistically that most of us will rarely go beyond the first one or two pages of search engine results. And so it becomes the goal of websites – as a part of their marketing effort known as search engine optimization – to appear on that first or second page of results. This page ranking becomes incredibly important for websites in order to achieve their goal to increase web traffic and ultimately increase the visibility of their site in the online arena.

But what we have all surely noticed is that there are those websites that pay the search engines to be included in the first couple of pages of results returned. These websites are typically featured at the very top of the page of results or in the side bar of the page; they are referred to as sponsored links.

While this paid placement surely allows a website to achieve its goal of higher page rankings, it could ultimately be sabotaging their efforts to increase web traffic. Ask any search engine user and you are likely to find that they are somewhat distrustful of the sponsored links and tend to veer instead toward the general listing of results – known as organic results. These are the websites that organically appear because they are relevant to the search and their search engine optimization efforts have allowed them to be noticed by the search engines.

When promoting a website and working towards the goal to increase web traffic, a website should consider the choice between organic results and sponsored links. Ultimately with the proper search engine optimization tools, websites can achieve their SEO goal of higher page rankings without paying for a spot.

Back in the day, when many towns and communities around the country centered around a Main Street – the quintessential small town hub where mom and pop shops catered to the retail needs of their neighbors – foot traffic was an important commodity. It meant that those who were passing by on the street – and were perhaps attracted by something they saw in the window – took the time to stop into the store. And, in most cases, such a decision to stop led to the purchase or goods or services. Foot traffic once accounted for much of a store’s business.

Today, of course, things are a bit different – as communities have experienced significant urban sprawl. Now, in order to find something that we need we more often than not need to take a drive. And if we’re going to take a drive, we want to know where we are going. This has significantly cut down on foot traffic, as it far less often that we will simply wander into a store because we happen to be in the neighborhood. Indoor malls and outdoor shopping outlets still offer that opportunity but with so many people shopping online, the Internet has adopted the need for foot traffic that small town business once relied so heavily upon.

The Internet is in fact a place where people wander and where they may “happen” by a website that they didn’t know existed. Foot traffic online refers to the web site traffic that is led to a website through a series of steps – most often instigated by the search engines. By engaging in comprehensive search engine optimization techniques websites are in a better position to attract the attention of “passerby” online and increase web traffic exponentially. And just like businesses once changed their window displays to attract attention and keep things fresh, so must websites stay committed to changing things up to keep things fresh for visitors.

There has been a growing trend in this country, and beyond, of people working from home; skipping the traditional daily commute and daily grind behind a desk in the corporate world. Instead, recognizing the need for many corporations to reduce their overhead and fulfilling their own need to reduce their fuel costs and take more control of their own careers, proactive entrepreneurs are setting up shop in their own homes. This may mean working for an existing company that is open and supportive of off-site employees. But in many cases, this means the setting up of an at home business that allows business owners to effectively juggle their schedule and still make money.

A huge component of a modern at home business is a website. Businesses have come to understand that without an online presence they are severely limiting their chances of success. After all, modern consumers turn first to the Internet to find the products and services that they need; if a business does not have a website to which consumers can turn, the chances for success are greatly reduced.

Once a website is up and launched, it becomes the business owner’s objective to generate more website traffic, as more traffic means more opportunity for business. Just as a business owner puts certain elements into place in order to stimulate business in the traditional sense, so must they attend to their website to stimulate business on that front. In order to achieve these goals, many businesses turn to search engine optimization methods to help stimulate the site. Search engine optimization efforts may include the infusion of keyword rich content into the site, continually changing and updating information to increase the value for visitors and increase the page rankings on the online search engines, and the development of reciprocal links with other reputable and relevant websites.

We’ve often heard the expression, “no news is good news;” while this may be true in some cases it is certainly not a philosophy that applies across the board. In some cases, no news is a definite sign of trouble, especially when you are a business measuring the success of your advertising and marketing efforts. When you put the time, effort, and money into promoting your business through a number of different resources, you want to see that it is working. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

Websites, as the modern day answer to traditional businesses, are similarly marketing themselves in the Internet community; the only difference between their efforts and the efforts of their traditional counterparts is the playing field on which they are operating. The virtual world – while convenient and certainly accessible – offers its own brand of challenges in terms of measuring success. After all, the Internet is virtual because you cannot touch or feel its components, although they exist; one can only imagine the difficulties this presents to businesses that are attempting to measure their results with solid evidence.

Websites that embark upon search engine optimization efforts in order to generate more website traffic see their results through the increased visitation to their site. Search engine optimization is a marketing effort that helps to raise the visibility of a website with the online search engines; an effort that is measured through the generation of more website traffic.

But beyond this, a website that is properly marketing itself should see proof of their efforts in the general “buzz” produced about the website. By successfully promoting the website – enough that information about it can be found in a variety of locations including online news hubs, websites will find that they generate more website traffic as a result.