Marketing your website Effectively:Basics

Marketing your website:

You are done with designing your website. Ok! Now what do you do? How do people find your website or how do they know there exists one? First and foremost, register your website in directories like DMOZ it helps place your business in a relevant category. Then imagine what keywords or key phrases customers would search for your business—be specific--for instance, you have a furniture business in Nebraska, Arizona, and then the probable search keyword would be ‘Furniture store Nebraska, Arizona.’ Rather than giving a narrow keyword like ‘Furniture store’ or Furniture store in U.S.’ which actually leads to a much broader search results, a search result-- not directly helping to point out your hometown business, its not precise and moreover, the problem is, shorter the keywords; the more expensive they are, in a paid search. Ask your close associates or friends as to what key search terms or key search phrases they would use to search for your business and make a list of it, it helps! Use them to the best of your advantage. It doesn’t mean you should overuse keywords or key phrases—‘stuffing keywords’ (Google considers it ‘spamming.’)

Take a look at your website, at some point of time; you’ll feel ‘there’s scope for improvement.’ Or may be few things should have been fixed, be it the navigation feature, tone, usability, or maybe the overall look and feel of your website. It is an ongoing process, a constant pursuit for perfection, a process of continuous refinement to see your website reach up to a certain level, or be it simply that you’re just trying to weather the change— technically speaking its called ‘Website Optimization.’

First study your competitor’s website (it is the easy way!), do a research as to what factors or features made your competitor so popular. Pick those best features/ideas from your competitors’ website. While you can always ‘copy and improvise’ those features to your advantage and trust me sometimes the best of ideas come from cross-industry; may not come from your relevant industry. But on the converse, Online business reputation, credibility, and customer trust can only be built over a period of time—there’s no duplicating/ mimicking your competitor in this matter, especially when he is on top. There’s no short cut to success when it comes to earning trust or building reputation, but it has to be done through hard work, and proper customer-oriented approach.

Most important question one needs to ask when thinking of having a website-- why do I need a website? Who is my audience? What is that I want to communicate through my website? -- Have your answers figured out for those above questions. It gives you a great relief, like ‘clear clouds appearing’, ‘landscape will start looking better and promising for you.’ It may look silly but at least it’ll leave you with a satisfaction of having a clear goal and you’re fulfilled that you’re heading in a right direction after having those basing questions answered and the best part you really don’t have to look back at your past.

How to use Social Media for Marketing:

Using Social media as an overall Online marketing strategy:

Social Media Marketing (SMM) and Optimization (SMO) is an important – perhaps even critical – Internet marketing strategy. Internet marketers are pretty unsure as to how to use social media as a marketing strategy or even if they should use it at all.

Social media needs a Multi throng approach: To start with SMM make way into social media, make a slow but steady approach in impressing your users-- initially go in a 'stealth' mode. Attenuating to the fact 'social media' has transformed the total internet landscape forever (and it’ll continue to do so) and the way it works, by and large. It's probably because of the seamless, magnanimous ‘influence’ factor that it brings within itself for its users. Helping users to make a better choice through vote of opinion, ratings and discussions related to products or services or it could be just about anything. Truly ‘Word-of-mouth marketing’ rules, in all forms of marketing- be it traditional or Online marketing and it benefits marketers and users as well. And that is where all advertisers, media buyers and all the top brands are busy creating a buzz! making themselves more visible to users-- entering into social media--finding effective ways to reach and vie up for every possible attention of its users; capitalize on your target/prospect customers-- pushing every little step (but cautiously) in getting closer to their customers--to know, understand them better and to deliver better.

Funneling down the right prospects: Identify the most buzzing places in social media-- the popular blogs, forums, and social networks related to your subject area and slowly start introducing yourself by contributing your voice and surely but steadily make it a habit to consistently post your views or solutions in those social networks. Become more kind of an opinion leader for others in your area I am sure it'll reap benefits in the long run.

Eventually over a period of time people tend to notice you and bear your Online presence--good! if they feel you're contributing to the Online cause and growing into something big, sooner or later they start listening to you and probably trust you and that's where your conversion point starts--make your first move--put your business proposal softly, but most importantly win their confidence first--that is the gateway--an entry point where you'll really start conversing with your audience effectively with vigor and intent.

Things are transforming fast in Online. Hard sell doesn't work in Internet marketing--Internet users don't simply sit and meditate in front of the internet and see as to what internet marketers are trying to say, the message should be simple, direct and expressive enough to convey your message ; ‘at their own terms’; the pushy kind of tone : that typical sales pitch...is a strict no!...no!. Internet users have a short attention span so keeping them engaged through your website, proposing the right product to the right person and finally converting them is a very tough task.

I always felt ‘share information selflessly' for free(Google did a class act, for that matter) and it'll payoff big one day ! How many times have you heard people saying 'I've got this thing for free Online!' People always love carrying home some free stuff! It pays to provide some free stuff. It might not bring you a fortune, in a shorter period of time but it'll sure help you in attaining your long term goals and one day you'll see yourself doing consistently pretty good job. Believe me! the very feeling of doing well--it motivates you to do better (considering the kind of tough competition you have Online) and I am sure it'll give you a great deal of satisfaction and it'll leave you with a sense of fulfillment and joy.

Last, but not least, please be very passionate about whatever you do Online--Online marketing demands specialization else, chances are you're soon forgotten and you discover yourself being part of history and it's not easy to make a comeback once gone.

To conclude Online marketing with context to social media though initially may look tough and complicated, but can be made easy by rigorous and careful study. Remember Delivering work at the highest level always becomes an art form. I am sure one day, like a steady mountain goat you’ll see yourself reaching the summit. Bye the way it just remembered me of the quote below. Good Luck!

It's not just a question of conquering a summit previously unknown, but of tracing, step by step, a new pathway to it.
-- Gustav Mahler (mountaineer)