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April 28, 2008

We have all launched email campaigns and then subsequently monitored our reporting statistics to see who has or has not opened our emails. Undoubtedly not all recipients will respond to your message. Today, a typical email distribution list will contain 70-80% inactive recipients. Given this statistic, you must decide if you will focus your energy and resources on attempting to grab the attention of those recipients who fail to respond, or divert your energy to the 20-30% of your list who are actively responding.

Russell McDonald, CEO of iPost, cautions marketers that focusing only on the active respondents may mean giving up a huge opportunity. McDonald states that "you could easily increase your spending on the effort by a little and boost your return by 100% if you focus on that other segment."

So, what factors may impact whether a recipient on your list is inactive? Here are a few common examples:

• The subscriber is no longer interested in your content, or your products and services.
• The subject line of the email does not entice them to open it.
• The subscriber email account is not in use or is checked on an irregular basis.
• Your content may be getting filtered by spam filters. Your message will continue to be sent, but will not reach your intended recipients.
• The email may be considered bulk within the recipient's inbox.

Understanding factors that may result in inactivity allows you to focus on how to engage these subscribers.

• Offer discounts or specials not typically available from your company, or that can only be accessed via your emails.
• Provide access to white papers and other relevant content to give recipients a reason to engage with you.
• Try scheduling your emails to arrive on a different day or time. It is possible that the timeframe you have been using is not convenient for your recipients.
• Consider surveying your subscribers. This will assist you in gaining their insights on what they are interested in hearing about.
• Try using a new, creative subject line for your inactive list. If you consistently use a similar subject line, this change in approach may help to re-engage recipients.

Whether you are managing your own email solution or you are working with a service provider, be sure that both your inactive and active subscriber lists are being adequately managed. If after additional, conscience attempts you find that you are not able to get a response from an inactive recipient remove them from your list. Please contact us if you would like to learn more about email marketing.

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April 14, 2008

We have all heard of Pay Per Click (PPC) marketing, but what does it really mean for your company? And how do keywords factor in to this growing marketing trend?

When advertisers place ads on search engines, advertising networks, content Web sites or blogs and only pay when a user clicks on their ad; this is PPC marketing. Typically a PPC ad appears above or to the right side of the organic search results.

PPC is not magic. It's not as simple as just paying a fee to have your ad appear atop the search engine results page. The importance of relevant and user-specific keywords within your ads and Web site content can not be emphasized enough as key elements for any PPC strategy. It is also vital when selecting keywords to keep the user's intentions in mind. When choosing keywords, include action verbs such as "buy," "order," or "find," in the title of your PPC ad to filter out the visitors with less actionable motives.

"In some cases, a keyword phrase like "buy Apple iPod" communicates greater buying intention than a general keyword like "Apple iPod," Kevin Gold, managing partner for Enhanced Concepts stated in the recent article "Aligning Keywords and Landing Pages" in Practical Ecommerce magazine.

Not every user who clicks on your PPC ad will give you the behavior you desire. Users sometimes arrive at the landing page and immediately press their back button if their first impression of your site does not match their intended results. PPC marketing alone is only a starting point, it is essential that you incorporate a relevant keyword strategy into your ads and Web content to drive visitors to your site and retain their attention. Is your site ready?

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March 31, 2008

You have without a doubt visited a Flash-enabled Web site and had to download the latest version of Flash to view the site. Although it may have seemed like an inconvenience at the time, you likely installed Flash in order to view the Web site in its entirety.

Flash can be a highly effective communication tool if used in the right way and optimized correctly. Although slow connection speeds and version updates can cause headaches, Flash definitely pays off when users on your site are driven to take an action because of Flash, and it enables you to create an impact greater than that of a static HTML page.

Flash enables consumers of a Web site to be educated and entertained with rich imagery, demos of a product or intriguing animation that communicates a message. For example, a company that sells party decorations may present visitors with a flash video focusing on how to create a perfect table setting with their product. This allows the retailer to immediately up-sell and provides value while creating an outstanding customer experience. Some additional examples include real estate companies using Flash to display pictures and rotating shots of rooms and colleges featuring Flash videos of student and faculty testimonials. Flash is being utilized in more places than you may initially have thought.

Flash can simply be used to entertain site visitors, but it also has the proved power to increase online conversions. So is Flash really worth putting on your site? That is for you to decide.

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March 17, 2008

Online video is growing. According to comScore, more than 10 billion videos were watched online in December 2007, compared to 7.2 billion in January the same year. What caused this growth? Among many factors, the amount of content is growing, the number of Internet users is climbing and retailers are giving their rich media offerings a boost.

How are retailers stepping up to the plate? Retailers like Circuit City are building strategies around how to engage the shopper through how-to videos around their products. In the past fiscal year, video content on CircuitCity.com has grown Web sales 40 percent. "One of our goals is to bring the customer as close as possible to having an in-store experience without having to leave the house," Rob Roy, video content specialist at Circuit City said.

Outdoor sports gear and apparel company, The North Face didn't have to look far to get their online video up and running. They placed Web-based kiosks featuring sports-themed videos in their own stores. "We saw people interacting with kiosks between 20 and 30 minutes," Sarah Gallagher, senior manager of interactive marketing at The North Face said.

Rich media solutions open up new opportunities. They enable you to:

• Increase revenue
• Feature your products in a whole new light
• Show customers giving testimonials
• Boost your SEO quality
• Put a face to your name
• Condense your content into a more interesting format

What can you do to boost your rich media strategies?

• Engage the shopper with video – in the shopping cart, product recommendations, product tours and demos
• Video testimonials – people tend to trust real customers
• You have a brick and mortar store, what can you do to drive people to your Web site?
• Create a promotional video about your company
• Offer widgets or downloads for your customers
• Create a buzz about your company by placing videos on YouTube or other Web sites

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March 3, 2008

As other marketing trends come and go, email marketing keeps its place as one of the most effective and low-cost options available. You may think most people delete the emails they receive, yet the research numbers may surprise you.

According to research conducted by the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing expects a ROI of $45.65 per dollar in 2008. The Direct Marketing Association also released numbers showing that direct response newspaper ads, non-catalog direct mail and telemarketing ROI will each amount to about one-third of email marketing's expected ROI numbers.

Email marketing is not at a standstill nor is it slowing down. In January 2008, Jupiter Research estimated that spending on email marketing will nearly double in the next three years, from $1.2 billion in 2007 to $2.1 billion in 2010.

Plus, email marketing has the ability to:

• Create opportunities to cross-sell and up-sell
• Generate high response rates
• Get the word out about offers and discounts
• Engage your customers in an informative and entertaining way
• Cost less, thus save you money
• Measure effectiveness instantly and analyze customer behavior
• Be targeted to the right customers
• Provide you with data that can help you improve the usability and conversion rates on your Web site
• Direct more of the RIGHT kind of traffic to your site

Still not convinced? Contact us for even more facts about email marketing.

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February 18, 2008

Not everyone has gone through the grueling process of finding a new place to call home. If you have, you know the pains that can accompany the lengthy search. First, you must choose a location and a price range that fits. Then you make time to visit potential homes while making sure they have the features and security you desire. It's all about finding the perfect fit for your needs.

Finding a hosting partner for your platform can be the same way. You want the hosting partner to be reliable as well as have the features and security you need to ensure maximum return on your investment. Exploring and researching potential hosting partners, much like attending an open house, will help you determine if the fit is right. You wouldn't choose a home that requires an overwhelming amount of maintenance just because it has a small price tag, so why choose a hosting partner in the same manner?

Choosing a hosting partner can be a complex and confusing decision, yet knowing the facts will get you where you need to be. Check out this article to learn more about selecting a hosting partner. Plus, read the facts below to learn more.

Get the facts to find your fit:

• Hosting is defined as a service that allows individuals and organizations to provide their Web site on the Internet.
• Shared hosting is mainly for small-to-medium sized businesses that want an economical solution.
• Dedicated hosting is for businesses with high traffic that require their own server.
• Virtual hosting is much like dedicated hosting, yet runs on a large server with other virtual servers. This option is typically more economical than dedicated.
• Co-location hosting is for businesses that want to take administrative control of their Web site. Businesses rent the space and maintain their own equipment.

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February 4, 2008

With online retailers beefing up the competition by adding new components and killer design elements to their sites, your site's priorities should take a turn in the same direction.

You can say goodbye to the days where good design was all you needed. You would grab some unique fonts and images and you were golden. Today consumers want your site to function even more than they want the site to look good. According to a recent article in Internet Retailer, "Looks matter, but more retailers realize that better site performance and usability count for even more."

So what are the consumers after anyway? Put yourself in their shoes. You visit a site and you decide to buy a product. What would be the easiest way for you to check out? Are there ways for you to personalize your product? Can you see your account balance while you continue to shop? Do you have to sign in just to add something to your cart? Your site may have a beautiful design, yet if your consumers are continually abandoning their shopping carts, your functionality needs a facelift.

Here are a few tips on achieving that competitive edge:

• Make sure the tools you implement on your site are not roadblocks (like long load times) for your consumers – some tools may seem smart, but not all users will be able to use them
• Do not make your consumers re-trace their steps
• Keep your site clean and free of clutter – this will be a direct representation (to your consumers) of how you run your business
• Take a look at your competition – take a step or ten beyond that

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January 21, 2008

There was a time before Facebook and MySpace when having a blog on your site was considered cutting-edge. With the boost in popularity of social networks, having only a blog means your site may be left in the dust. Plus with the large players, like MySpace, growing at rates of about 150 new users per minute, you can't afford to ignore a social networking opportunity.

It may not be appropriate for every site to have a social network integrated, yet those who do keep the users coming back by offering profiles and features users want. Think of how often some users check their Facebook or MySpace profiles. If a user was passionate about what you had to offer, don't you think they would want to join a network of like-minded individuals?

Large companies such as Toyota, that launched a social network site for Prius owners more than a year ago, allow consumers to join a community of individuals that make purchases similar to theirs. Toyota allows the users of this Prius social network to create and view profiles not only for themselves, but also their new car. These Prius owners are a perfect example of why social networking for products works. Toyota now has the opportunity to dig even further into their demographic.

You may not think your company is big enough to even gain a social network base. But you have customers, right? They come to your site. You have their interest. Give them something, other than your products, to come back for. It may be as simple as adding an online video feature that allows your users to post videos of themselves using your products. It could be as easy as enabling the users on your site to create a profile or their very own blog. Start small, and along the way you can add more and more features.

Don't think you have the time or resources? Creating a social network does not have to be a burden. We can help to make your network professional and exciting.

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January 7, 2008

If you build it they will come. This may ring true in some scenarios, yet Web site building is a little different. Customers won't just come to you, and once they do, getting them to stay is even harder.

Web traffic can be one of the scarcest commodities online, and without it, your business won't exist. How can you gain exposure and get customers to stay? By following a few of these best practices, you will be on your way to a great site.

• Follow the SEO best practices. These include, adding keywords, utilizing title tags, meta descriptions, alt text and emphasis tags.
• Do a full site analysis. This means that your site will be checked for navigational, functional and design issues.
• Cater to your customers first. We've all seen the sites that pop up in search results first, but are a disappointment to open. Most people will not stay long. Make sure you have a great balance of visual appeal and SEO.
• Test your site in various browsers. Not every customer has the browser you use.
• Take it slow. Don't think you have to do it all in one day. SEO best practices and a site analysis take time and money. Plus once you implement best practices, you won't see results overnight.

Want more? Email us to receive even more tips on how to improve your site.

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December 10, 2007

Coaching Your Team
Key tips to winning your clients attention with print

There are 12 seconds left on the clock. It is third and goal and the quarterback, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, called a time out. The team hurries over to the sideline to talk it over. The goal is obvious; the plan of attack is not. Creating a successful print campaign is much like coaching a team to victory. If everything falls into place, you win, and in some cases, you win big.

Start with a clear approach. When planning for victory over the undefeated team in the league, you start with a clear set of goals. The coach will create plays for both the offense and defense and practice them until they are flawless. In a print campaign, you create new procedures and processes to ensure they will work as planned according to the allocated budget and time.

Make everyone aware of your goals. There may be nothing worse than a few key players not knowing the goal of a play. Let's say the quarterback knows the play, he needs to pass the ball once the running back is in position, yet the running back doesn't know where that position is. Timing and communication mean everything in a play, much like in your project. Make everyone on the team, even those with small roles, aware of your goal.

Put me in coach! The coach of a football team most likely will not know how to play every position on the field, so he has to trust his players best judgment. Trusting the people in the print project's process will allow people to do what they do best, that is after all why you hired them.

Practice makes perfect. To avoid embarrassment, or even losing, with an interception, fumble or sack, the coach runs plays over and over. Think of proofing your print campaign like practicing plays. You don't want your client to find something that you should have already found. Do press checks, have designated proofreaders, and give everything in your print campaign a fresh set of eyes.

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November 26, 2007

It's no surprise that online marketing is booming. It's no surprise that companies value their visibility online. It may surprise you that according to McKinsey & Company, 79 percent of marketing executives in 2007 stated that their company's site was the primary online channel to sell their products or services. This means they create more sales for their own products or services on their own site than any other site, even the large Ecommerce players like E-bay and Amazon.

If your Ecommerce solutions such as shopping carts, site navigation or SEO's best practices are not up to par, this figure may present a problem. If you are not sure about how much traffic your site sees, you may want to look into a Web analytics solution to track the behavior of consumers visiting your site and how often they visit. Some Ecommerce solutions can make a world of difference and will keep your online customers coming back.

Here are some tips to boost your company's site:

• Make sure SEO best practices are in place.
• Try out your own shopping cart. Do you get through the checkout process easily, or could it use some work?
• Make sure you have a way to follow up with your customers, whether it is an email, newsletter or coupon.
• Make sure your products or services are easy to understand. There is nothing worse than confusing your customers.
• Have a person outside of your company try out your site and navigate through the checkout process. Listen carefully to their feedback.
• Conduct focus groups to find out if your demographic understands your site.
• De-clutter! Is there anything on your site that is outdated or not of use?

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November 12, 2007

When you hear the words "online advertising," you may instantly think of annoying pop-up ads or flash banner ads, but if you dig deeper into online advertising, you will find it is becoming much more than a nuisance.

Many online retailers have started to use online videos to promote their products or services. Their intent is to get the users of their sites to stay on even longer, all while keeping their customers up to date on the latest products or services, resulting in more sales. Video can tell a story or demonstrate how to use the product, instead of showing static images on a site.

2ndwindexercise.com, who features videos on its site, believes their efforts of placing online video ads and demonstrations on their site are paying off. They claim to have as many as 8,000 viewers per month. TV giant ABC has taken online video advertising to a whole other level by placing sponsored video ads within its free shows that users can download.

Does this all pay off in the end? According to a recent article published by E-Commerce Times, 65 percent of U.S. broadband users watch video online at least occasionally, which grew about 20 percent from 2006. According to Reuters, within two weeks of the launch of ABC's online videos in 2006, ABC hit three million in show downloads, which means about three million views of their sponsors.

Here are a few tips to help you get started with online video advertising:

• Make sure your video provides relevant information. Is it appropriate with the time? The season?
• Is your video consistent?
• Consider your file size and format. Will they be compatible, or just a headache for users?
• Make your video interactive. Make it do more than still images.

Are you ready to dive into online video advertising?

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October 29, 2007

A recent study from comScore showed that Web 2.0 users in the United States spent about $27 billion online in the second quarter of 2007 alone. Social networking sites saw traffic rise by 33 percent in one year to 81 million unique users. Are these high rates connected? Or should they be?

They are connected and have been termed as "Social Shopping."

Social networking powerhouses like Facebook and MySpace already have integrated ways for users to shop by having affiliates with various companies, retailers, and sponsored advertisements. Social Shopping companies like ThisNext, Crowdstorm, Kaboodle and Wists have gone a step further by existing as a social network exclusively for shopping. Users of these networks can add, recommend, and search for items. These sites also let you create a profile very similar to ones on Facebook and MySpace, yet some do not allow you to make friends with other users.

Kaboodle, the largest social shopping community on the Web, offers an application for Facebook and MySpace users who want to let their friends know what they are wishing for. By joining Kaboodle's stand-alone site you can create a wish list filled with products from many different retailers and your very own profile. Retailers can add buttons to their sites that include their products on Kaboodle, making them more visible.

Kaboodle has also worked out a deal with eBay's comparison shopping service, Shopping.com. Whenever a user on Kaboodle posts a product that also appears on Shopping.com, Kaboodle will post all the various prices that the online retailers of the product have posted, much like Shopping.com does. If the user clicks through to the retailer's site, Kaboodle will earn a percentage of the money Shopping.com receives from that retailer.

Is this the way to shop in the future? Will your local shopping mall become nothing but an empty building? Will people limit their search and discovery of new products to the Internet only?

"Customers are so used to going to the store to discover new products that it'll take a long time to get them out of that," said Patti Freeman Evans, an analyst with Jupiter Research, an online consultant.

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October 15, 2007

Green is hot. And in honor of National Cleanup Weekend this month, why not discuss its impact on marketing?

Using a product or service that is green means it is better for the environment. We've all undoubtedly seen an ad or a marketing effort all in favor of being green. But does it sway your purchase decisions, or just make you more aware of your own lifestyle and personal choices? Is going green just a marketing tactic, and can it really make a company more money?

According to Ipsos Reid's study conducted on behalf of Icynene, seven in ten Americans either strongly or somewhat agree a company advertising their product or service as green, is just a marketing tactic. The study also found that about 44 percent of Americans are not willing to pay more up front for green building products.

So why are so many companies going green? According to Worldpress.com, green is an emerging product category and many consumers are not fully committed to the green buzz - yet. Going green is not just about the products, it is about social cause. Companies believe their efforts will create enough buzz to attract potential customers to jump on board, or they hope so at least.

One company that has received a lot of attention for its green efforts is General Electric. GE has made four commitments to create green by staying green. One of their four commitments is to "keep the public informed," to do so they promote a free exchange of information, ideas, comments and constructive criticism on their web site Ecomagination. Check out their marketing strategies.

Is your company ready to "go green?" Do you have some things that you already practice on a regular basis that are considered good for the environment? Here are some quick things your company can do to create some green by saving some green:

• Recycle!
• Think of ways to travel more effectively.
• Switch your light-bulbs to more energy efficient ones and turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Turn off your computer and the power-strip at the end of the day.
• Think before you print. Print only what you need.
• Re-think your commute. Can you carpool?
• Put a plant at your desk. Plants absorb indoor pollution.

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October 1, 2007

The connection power of the tiny widget applications are taking marketers by storm.

Widgets. They are not the fictitious products people imagine while talking about business possibilities. They have actually become something real. Widgets are tiny Web applications that are used to capture Internet users most specific needs, from weather updates to the latest Hollywood gossip.

There are two kinds of widgets: Web and desktop. A Web widget is simply code taken from a marketer and pasted into a user's blog or Web 2.0 pages. Web widgets such as photo slideshows and music are commonly used in popular sites like MySpace and Facebook. A desktop widget allows an Internet user to download a widget from a widget creators' web site or a widget aggregator site such as Yahoo Widgets or Google Desktop Gadgets. The widget then sits on the users desktop, and in most cases can be hidden, to update the user of the information they want.

So why would anyone want a widget? Some companies, like Due Maternity offer users incentives for downloading their widget. Due Maternity created a widget for the parent-to-be with a countdown clock to the due date of the baby and links back to the site for coupons, special offers, products and information. Due Maternity also offered customers a 10 percent discount on select products just for downloading the widget during the first 45 days of the widget release.

Other widgets have a way of creating a buzz around products, services and even people. For example, MySpace, one of the top social networks on the Web, is known for its users sharing artist and music preferences with other users. Users hear a song they like and put it on their profile. The way users do this? Through Web widgets. Popular artists such as Colbie Calliat and Sean Kingston have been discovered through having their songs on MySpace and available to other users.

Do widgets really work? They seemed to work for Due Maternity and artists Colbie Calliat and Sean Kingston. During the first 45 days of the Due Maternity widget launch, about 10,000 widgets were downloaded and sales produced directly from the widget were $7,500, quite the return for a $600 investment. Colbie Calliat and Sean Kingston have had their recent hits rank in the top ten on the Billboard charts.

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September 17, 2007

While many business-to-business (B2B) marketers contemplate implementing Web 2.0 strategies on their web sites, a recent Forrester Report finds that many B2B companies fail to meet even the most basic Web 1.0 standards.

Forrester evaluated 259 business-to-consumer (B2C) web sites and 62 B2B web sites on criteria covering four categories including value, navigation, presentation, and trust. Based on the data collected, Forrester concluded that B2B sites lagged B2C sites in every category except presentation.

Text legibility and site navigation were among the top offenders. The report also found B2B sites lagging in their ability to organize information in a logical and efficient manner, leaving room for improvements in user flow throughout the web sites.

How can you ensure that you are meeting the basic Web 1.0 standards? Here are four recommendations for improving your B2B web site:

• Do your research! Understand your customer segments and ensure that your web site reflects a personalized experience for each audience segment that you are targeting.
• Do not overwhelm visitors to your site. Although content management tools allow many users to submit content to your web site, an unorganized approach can confuse your web site visitors. Be sure that all internal departments are communicating a centralized message.
• Think about visitors to your web site in a human context. Understand who they are, the information they seek, and the experience that the user needs from your web site.
• Design the web site experience around your customer and their needs.

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September 3, 2007

For manufacturers and retailers alike, rich media and rich Internet applications drive sales by boosting conversion rates and increasing average order size. According to a recent Forrester report, "The Business Case for Rich Internet Applications", RIA's are popular because:

• People know them and like them
• They enable tasks that HTML can't
• They get results

As you think about incorporating rich media and rich Internet applications on your web site, please remember:

• The goal of any addition to your web site should be to improve your customers' experience. Use these new technologies to help customers visualize your products. One drawback to the Internet is that it creates touch-and-feel barriers. Use rich media and RIA's to overcome that barrier.
• Be sure that the rich media and RIA's accurately reflect your brand and increase brand awareness. Nothing will hurt your brand more than to have customer's let down because their expectations were not met.
• Though developing rich media and RIA's can be complex, to the end-user they should seem simple and work flawlessly. Make sure they are easy to use, contain great content, and help your customers visualize the product.
• Brainstorm different uses for these new technologies such as 360-degree views of products, video testimonials, video casts of product demonstrations, and applications that give customers the ability to attach and detach components.

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August 20, 2007

Many of us strive to achieve a number one ranking on Google, but if we accomplish this goal what comes next?

For most organizations, it comes down to the good ol' bottom line – increasing revenue. Driving traffic to your web site is just the first of many steps. Unfortunately many SEO efforts stop at this point.

In today's Monday Marketing Minute, we'd like to suggest some ideas on how to take those web site visitors beyond the landing page.

• Create an offer. It might be a percentage off the product or service, free shipping, a free trial, or a free quote. Make it easy for them to contact you about the offer by including a form, 800 number, and email address link.
• Gather contact information. Create a sign-up form and offer a product demo, web event, white paper, case study or monthly e-newsletter.
• Develop a survey or poll. Surveys draw a crowd and can collect good data on prospect's buying preferences. Be sure you offer to share the data with participants who want to receive it.
• Start a Blog. Blogs make you and your organization "real" to a prospective customer. Make sure your blog provides valuable information and is not a sales pitch, then encourage visitors to subscribe to your feeds.

Don't abandon visitors to your site on the landing page and leave them guessing what to do next. Doing so will likely cause them to exit your site, then all of your SEO efforts, and your number one Google rank are wasted!

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August 6, 2007

According to a Pew Internet & American Life Project report released last week, online video now reaches a mainstream audience with 57% of online adults having used the Internet to watch or download video.

Though young adults are the most voracious video viewers, 57% online adults ages 30-49 watch an online video with 46% of online adults ages 50-64 saying they watch or download video content. Typically, these adults prefer online video content that is informational and educational in nature.

Whether you are contemplating the addition of video content to your web site or looking to improve and add to your online video library, here are some tips to make your video content successful.

Our interactive director and video expert, Craig Schanbacher, says:

• Choose topics your customers care about. Don't waste time producing video content that provides little value to your customers. Instead, make sure you understand your audience and have clear goals. Then, produce content that is educational in nature.
• Understand video technology. Be sure you know your audiences' playback capabilities. What operating systems do they use and what video player comes standard? Are they typically using a dial-up connection at home or a high-speed connection at work? Should your video be a streaming or a progressive download file?
• Don't forget about the search engines. Video content, like all content, can improve your organic search position, but only if you use good meta data in your video files. Older video encoding software does not allow for this, so make sure you or your video editor is using the most current versions.
• Add a call to action. Think about what you want viewers to do after they watch the video. Fill out a form? Forward the video to a friend? Go to a webpage? Rank the video? Respond to a survey or poll? A call to action allows you to engage your customers and provide something more than just passive entertainment.

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July 23, 2007

For as little as $100 a year, small businesses can add Google search to their web sites. Google, Inc. announced last week that it will immediately begin offering Google Custom Search Business Edition. The press release claims that the set-up is so easy, site administrators can sign-up online and have their web site customers and visitors using Google's search technology in less than 10 minutes.

Sound too good to be true? Possibly. But if you are like many other small- to medium-sized businesses struggling to produce relevant search results on your web site, it might be worth a look. In addition to providing an expected service to your online customers, internal site search also offers insight into the keywords and phrases visitors are typing into the search box. This information is critical when considering navigation improvements and refining search engine marketing efforts.

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July 9, 2007

If your web site is critical to your business success, you need a web site hosting partner, not just a hosting company. However, selecting the right hosting partner to compliment your business can be an overwhelming process.

When looking for a hosting partner – or reevaluating the one that you have – there are three critical factors to consider:

• Security and redundancy of the data center
• Level of hosting and other programming expertise
• Proactive systems support

A recent article by Blue Hue's Michael Anderson provides insight and suggested questions to guide your search for the perfect partner.

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June 25, 2007

Improve the quality of search engine traffic by using relevant keywords in your search engine optimization plan.

Don't have a plan? Use these tips to get started and learn how to find keywords for your search goals:

• Ask new customers how they found your business.
• Find out what your top customers say about your business. What terminology do they use?
• Look at the internal site search terms people use when finding your web site.

Then, use a web analytics package to report on data regarding keywords. Test them. Track which keywords drive the most conversions. Most of all, concentrate on getting quality traffic over quantity.

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June 11, 2007

Web usability guru Jakob Nielsen pulled on the punching gloves last month, saying the web sites of the Web 2.0 era resembled the doomed sites before the dot-com bust.

But isn't Web 2.0 the way to communicate now? Nielsen says (of organizations), "They should get the basics right first. Sadly, most web sites do not have those primary things right."

Take some time to review your web site. Is it following best practices, like:

• Providing an easy-to-use interface and navigation system
• Eliminating jargon
• Designing webpages meant for scanning
• Adhering to Web design conventions
• Offering internal site search
• Testing for usability and accessibility

After you perfect these aspects of your web site, then add Web 2.0 technology like blogs, wikis, and RSS feeds.

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May 28, 2007

Price is only one factor in choosing a hosting service provider. Use this advice to avoid nightmares with your web site hosting provider.

• Nightmare - Your customers can't access your web site because it is unavailable, resulting in lost sales and opportunities:
  
  How much bandwidth and disk space does your web site need to run at peak performance? Does the host offer 99.99 percent uptime? Do they offer a solid infrastructure that ensure redundancy?
  
  
• Nightmare - It takes so long to load webpages that prospective customers leave your site in frustration:
  
  Does your hosting provider have multiple high-speed connections? Can your hosting provider expand as your business grows?
  
  
• Nightmare - Something goes wrong with your web site and no one will help you:
  
  Does your hosting provider offer 24/7 customer service? Is the support included in the price of your hosting service?