1. Deliver On Your Promise - Whether someone has landed on your page from a PPC campaign or an organic search, your title tags and PPC titles have given them an expectation of what to find when they click through. Make sure your landing page is targeted and relevant to that visitor.
2. Above The Fold – This term has been brought over from the print world when it referred to making sure that important messages and headlines appeared above the newspaper fold. This is also true with landing pages; your important messages and “call to action” should appear “above the fold”. A visitor shouldn’t have to scroll down the page to get what they’re looking for; most times they won’t.
3. No Flash Messages – If your landing page has important selling points that rotate, there’s a good chance your visitor will never see the message you want them to (they won’t wait). Use a static image or bold text headline to convey the message clearly and instantly.
4.  Simple is Better – This point echoes the first, but refers more to the layout and design of the page. If there is too much information (text, images, video, forms, etc.) on your page, visitors may become overwhelmed and click out. Instead, take advantage of whitespace on the page and have only the elements that are absolutely necessary to the visitor. For example, a landing page with one title, one image, one paragraph, and one form (or other “call to action”) will convert much better than the “information overload” page.
5. Test, Test, Test – This is something the landing page experts could not stress enough. Every business is different and has customers with different preferences on how and when to take action. To truly make landing pages the most effective they can be, you must continually test them against other versions.

While these tips are not absolute truths for every business and every industry, they are a starting point for creating landing pages with great post-click conversions. With continual testing (research “A/B Testing” and “Multivariate Testing” for landing pages), you’ll be on your way to carving out landing pages that convert.

1. Analytics
   - Don’t rely solely on keywords that are already driving traffic; seek out other possibilities for new insights.
   - Go through your 404′s (people that have incorrectly typed domains in a search bar) to see what people are looking for (but not finding) on your site. This will shed light on what the user expectation is when they visit your website.
2. Ask
   - Don’t assume that real people understand industry jargon and buzzwords. You understand it; they may not.
   - Ask non-industry people about your product or service. Take note of the terms and phrases they use to describe things and incorporate those into your keyword lists.
3. Brainstorm
   - Invite people from throughout your organization to brainstorm on how they would search on the internet for your product or service. Their fresh perspective may reveal valuable insights.
4. Crunch your numbers, Cull your lists, and Create your keyword lists.
   - Once your research has yielded workable lists, it is imperative to evaluate which keywords and phrases are yielding the desired conversions.
   - Pull keywords that are not productive and focus on ones that are.
   - After honing in on the keywords and phrases that work best for your site, you should be able to build and nurture very effective keyword lists.

By no means do these “ABC’s” cover all that is important with SEO. They do, however, bring to light methods that oftentimes don’t immediately come to mind.

Running PPC to find long-tail keywords
Running short lived PPC’s on a competitive search phrase can shed some light on what long-tail search phrases people are using around that competitive short tail.  For example running a PPC on “Dallas Homes” will most likely bring in traffic for a ton of more specific searches such as “3 bedroom Dallas homes”, “Dallas homes with a pool”, etc.  If you have analytics installed on your site, you can see which of these are converting and decide from there which searches you should optimize your landing pages for.

Running PPC to determine which keywords convert
Have you ever spent tons of time and effort optimizing your site for a search phrase and after you finally get it to rank organically, you find out it just doesn’t convert into paying customers? Running a short lived, low budget PPC campaign on a search phrase will help you determine how well that search phrase converts.  If it converts well, then it is most likely a good idea to spend the time and effort in organic SEO.  If it doesn’t convert well, you can decide to change your landing pages and content, or may even decide to target something else.

Running PPC on multiple landing pages
Running a short lived PPC campaign pointing to individual landing pages can help you determine how that landing page converts.  A high conversion will tell you that your landing page is setup well.  A low conversion may be an indication your landing page needs some work, or show that you could be targeting the wrong keywords for that landing page.

So, even if you don’t have the budget to run ongoing PPC campaigns, it can still be a great short-term tool for discovering the best (paying) keywords and phrases for your site.

With a central focus on the agent, Cammarosano spoke of the HomeGain model that has content designed to connect buyers to agents, as well as forms which capture leads. “I don’t think you’re going to hear anyone saying that they closed major sales or sold homes from anwsering questions on a website”, he said, taking a stab at one of the main features on the Trulia site.

In quick defense of Trulia Voices, Inkinen argued, “The mindset of the consumer is moving towards [research] behavior, as they are really doing their homework before making a decision on who to use for services”. He recounted a story that was told to him from an agent who uses Trulia Voices who has received “tons of business” from using the forum.

Both, however, seemed to agree that syndicating real estate listings is a highly effective method. In an open question to the hundreds of real estate professionals in attendance, Inkinen asked how many agents do not syndicate their listings. With only about 1/4 of the room raising their hands, there was a strong indication of how popular and successful this method is for real estate advertising.

Near the end of this intelligent debate, moderator, Brian Boero, Partner at 1000Watt Consulting, asked a thought-provoking question to the combatants when he mused, “How do we get these two models (buyer-centric and agent-centric) to work together?” Suggesting the name “TrueGain” for this merging of models, Boero seemed convinced that this all-encompassing approach could deliver the most powerful real estate marketing of all.

Photo credit: Randy Son Of Robert

Maybe you blog on multiple blog platforms such as WordPress. Are you keeping track of leads you get from those platforms and in addition to how many of those leads are converting? Maybe you post videos to different video platforms or syndicate your listings to multiple directories. Maybe you use Twitter or Facebook or focus heavily on your own website. Are you tracking the leads and conversions you receive from all of these sources?

If not, you may be spending valuable time in places that are not giving you a return on your investment. Sure, maybe some of these resources are free but your time is not free; it is an investment. Maybe it’s time to take a closer look at which resources have the highest conversion.

At the bottom of this post is a spreadsheet that can help track your conversions. It includes two sheets; one for keeping track of your daily activity (DailyLog) and the other (MonthlyStats) calculates profit/loss based on your daily log. Feel free to download for your own use. Google spreadsheet is good to use because it allows you to update the spreadsheet on the fly, from the web wherever you are.

Populate this information and you will soon see “how much money” you are actually spending and which platforms have a good return on investment (ROI). If the ROI is negative month after month, you may want to consider dropping that tool and try something else or focusing more on the tools that have a better ROI. I suggest giving a resource at least three months as it is hard to truly evaluate a resource with only a couple weeks of data.

Creating an online profile that’s engaging is a key component of an essential online marketing strategy. The goal in creating a meaningful profile is to engage your prospects. Online shoppers are likely to review several service providers before making a decision. Your business profile needs to be remarkable in order to capture your prospects’ attention within 3-5 seconds or less.

If you are transparent and thorough, prospects will contact you after reading your profile because you have given them enough information openly and honestly for
them to know, like, and trust you.

Here are five easy steps to create a head-turning profile.

Bedazzle with a great photo

A logo is a standard feature on most business profiles. While logos are essential for branding, a photo will add a humanistic quality to your profile. Online shoppers like to know who they are buying a product from and who the face is behind the services they will be receiving. A head shot or full length photo in a casual setting could be just the right touch. Investing money in a professional head shot could make the difference in zero to hero.

A simple photo could be the reason why a consumer chooses your services over a competitor’s.

Make Your Background Visible

Stand out from the crowd. Don’t let your background take a back seat on your profile.
It should appear front and center. Try to stay away from “mechanical copy” that reads more like a robotic resume than an impressive reflection of your skills and expertise. If you have examples of your past work online don’t hesitate to link to it. Consumers and Business Professionals want the play by play highlights.

Sell Your Services with Style

What is it that you REALLY do? Don’t make online shoppers read between the lines.
Provide a detailed bulleted list of your services. Don’t make assumptions. Your online visitors may never visit your website, so make sure you present every service you represent on your profile. Link out to photos you have of services you have completed or products you sell. If you add services to your business make sure to update your profile.

Oftentimes, people do not list services/products that they don’t perform even though they
can provide a referral to another service provider. Create a small section within your profile that list services your can cover with your own little black book of reputable service providers. The power of referrals can come back to you in spades.

Allow Your Personality to Percolate

Your personality should drip through like our morning coffee brew. Let’s go back to “know, like, and trust”. You can maintain a professional tone and allow your personality to permeate your profile by using a more conversational tone. Consumers and business professionals should be able to read your profile and get a sense of who they will be talking to or buying from, so don’t be shy about including your personal interests and hobbies.

How do you create a conversational profile? Have someone ask you questions and then respond verbally. Record this interview session, then replay and transcribe the words without editing. Once you have laid down this initial track go back and edit for grammar and cohesive writing, but keep the tone of the conversation intact.

Keep Your Contact Points Simple

Don’t confuse consumers. Provide one answer for each point of contact.

You only need to display one phone number, one email address and one website. If you have a blog that is separate from your website and is related to your business
you can include that website address. Also if you micro blog on a platform like Twitter and communicate using @replies and Direct Messages, make sure to include your Twitter Handle (user name).

Use these five steps to create an engaging online profile that makes prospects want to pick up the phone and work with you.

In a sea of competing businesses online marketing gives small businesses branding
opportunities. Solopreuners, small to mid-size business owners and even large
corporations are replacing traditional marketing venues like direct marketing
by use of newspaper advertising, bulletin boards, magazine ads, postcards, and
cold calling, for the newly improved internet methods found in web 2.0 offerings.
It’s no wonder with the number of warm handshakes these businesses receive from
their consumers online that small business owners wouldn’t migrate to online offerings.

Now with all generations active online it makes good use of business cents and
is business common sense to create online marketing strategies. The recent statistics
provided by The Pew Internet and American Life Project Study Survey- December
2008 prove that online advertising is integral to a business’s marketing plan
regardless of the age of your target market.

Here is the breakdown of the generations online noted in the study,

• 93%- 12-17 Year Olds
• 89%- 18-24 Year Olds
• 85%- 25-29 Year Olds
• 87%- 30-34 Year Olds
• 85%- 35-39 Year Olds
• 83%- 40-44 Year Olds
• 80% 45-49 Year Olds
• 78% 50-54 Year Olds
• 71%-55-59 Year Olds
• 62%-60-64 Year Olds

Clearly when it comes to online usage age IS nothing but a number.

Three Effective Methods of Social Media Marketing

Each business should develop an online marketing mix that suits its current goals
and objectives. Small businesses who take internet marketing seriously develop
strategic media marketing strategies that incorporate several facets of interactive
(web 2.0) online marketing or sometimes only a few based on the individual business’s
needs.

Here are three examples of effective Social Media Marketing mediums.

Blogging

You don’t have to be a penned wordsmith to be a good blogger . Blogging comes
in many formats and the key is that blogging is conversational. You can try traditionally
penned blogs. You can record audio tracks which is known as podcasting. A third
method is microblogging and a popular platform for this is twitter. In 140 characters
or less microblogging allows you to engage prospects and carry out easy conversations.

Blogging is a critical component of social media marketing because it allows businesses
to provide information through the use of fresh, relevant content. Incorporating
blogging as par of a company’s internet marketing strategy provides the company
with a good opportunity to be found in the search engines for the company’s desired
markets.

Social Networking

One of the most popular and highly addictive web 2.0 mediums for online consumers
are the social networks. Social networks allow consumers and business professionals
to network among friends, strangers, acquaintances, and professionals all in
one place. If small businesses keep an open mind and keep their networks open
they have the potential to grow their networks exponentially by allowing other
consumers into their fold.

Social networks also allow businesses to update the public on new improvement
in product lines, what an average day is like at xyz company. Social networks
are varied in purpose and the amount of social networks can be mind numbing,
but the most popular platforms determined by marketing research about consumer
online behavior are currently Linked In, Twitter, and Facebook.

Syndication

Social networks and blog platforms are relatively low on cost investment, but
they are far from maintenance free marketing endeavors. To blog and create viable
weekly online content the time commitment involved is a minimum of 5-10 hours
a week. How can you effectively communicate online through providing fresh and
relevant information AND then market that information to all of your contacts
across all of the social networks? The answer is syndication.

Syndicating content allows your message and your information to be reached across
the worldwide web. You can syndicate your content by using an online social service
that will broadcast your updates across the social networks. You can also use
listing syndication for your marketing collateral by using a service that will syndicate
your ads across social networks.

There’s No Time Like the Present Online

The thing most online traveler’s love about the internet is the ability
to peruse stores and services as well as to interact with people online anytime.
More importantly, anytime means on their time in online marketing. If your business
has not yet engaged heavily in online marketing there is no time like the present
to get started. The reach small businesses have online is global and timeless.

1. Strategy is Paramount.

When running a business, it is smart to continually educate yourself on the latest trends and techniques that are being used in your sphere and beyond. However, this should not be confused with chasing after every new application or fad that comes along. Just because all the popular kids (aka. the “gurus” and “experts”) are playing with it, doesn’t mean that it’s right for your business. Before investing time and effort into this social network or that marketing technique, think for a minute about the old adage that wisely reminds us “time is money”. Research, establish goals, and define a strategy. Follow through with things that makes sense for your business and “eliminate all things that don’t contribute to progress”. See more on this topic at The Lean Startup Blog and here on Twitter.

2. Sales in Web 2.0 is Okay.

With the gospel of transparency and open communication spreading across the social web like wildfire, sales seem to have taken a back seat. Without a doubt, integrity, honesty, and conversation are important in business. But what about actually doing business? In the session, “S Factor: Why Sales Shouldn’t Be a Dirty Word in Web 2.0“, Alastair Mitchell from Huddle.net explains that Web 2.0 has not replaced the need for a sales force, saying, “Web 2.0 can be used to more quickly build your user base, but not to replace a sales presence”. Perhaps this means separating your social networking efforts from your sales efforts, perhaps not. Whichever is the case for your business, sales need not be something you’re ashamed of. See the whole recap on this topic at the Huddle Blog.

3. Metrics are Vital for Success.

With a session title of “Become a Web 2.0 Metrics Jedi” and an opening slide photo of Yoda in pirate gear, it’s a wonder that anyone attended any other track that hour, and it did not disappoint. Do you create targeted landing pages, optimize your website for search engine success, and design your site for optimal attraction and conversion? If so, you’re on the right track… maybe. You can’t know for certain unless you have set goals and are analyzing the data on a regular basis. How many site visitors are clicking the “sign up” button on the main page compared with the one on the FAQ page? How many visitors are converting to paid customers? At which point in the process are they doing that? Is there a page on your website that has a much higher bounce rate than the rest? These questions will help you understand why you may or may not be reaching your goals, and having the systems in place to answer them is vital. Visit the 500 Hats Blog for a detailed slideshow and recap.

4. Online Advertising is Not Dead.

It is no secret that online advertising is becoming increasingly important as more people are searching and shopping online everyday. The argument lies in which type of advertising is most effective to online consumers and profitable to advertisers. With “ad blindness” affecting most online searchers (a term which describes the tendency of internet searchers to instinctively ignore banner and display ads), it was no surprise to hear that search type advertising is trending way up, just as CPM and CPC advertising is trending way down (JP Morgan 2008 Internet Investment Guide). This was music to our ears, since our ClassifiedFlyerAds service provides targeted search ads that are syndicated across the web. The session (titled “From AD-versity Comes Opportunity”) also predicted that a new type of advertising would surface in 2009-10 that would “fill the gap” between dispay ads and search ads. We’ll stay tuned.

5. More is Not Always Better.

With a theme of “The Power of Less”, the Web 2.0 Expo aimed to convince internet users that more apps, more features, more blog posts, more pictures, more video, more anything, is not always better. Don’t launch a new feature just to launch a new feature; make sure it adds value and solves a problem. On that note, the Lean Startup Session suggested that we ask ourselves these two questions before adding “more”: 1) “What problem are we solving for the customer?”, and 2) “How are we solving it?”. If you cannot answer these questions, perhaps it is not time to add that great new thing after all.

With courses covering four days and eight different topics, there was certainly no shortage of valuable information for businesses at the San Francisco Web 2.0 Expo, much more in fact, than we were able to take in on our own. Check out the recap page, twitter stream, and follow-up news coverage for all of the mind dizzying Web 2.0 advice you can handle.

A recent study by Nielsen Media Research found that more than 85% of the world’s population has shopped online, up 40% from just two years earlier. Combine this statistic with the fact that 87% of home buyers search for property online, and that 3 out of 4 car buyers also search online, and it’s hard to ignore the fact that people are relying on the internet for more reason than just to surf; they’re also there to buy. If you own or run a business – whether freelance, real estate, automotive sales, product sales, service provider, or anything else – then you need to be marketing online.

So, how do you advertise your business online? The options available to you are many, and if you are just getting your feet wet in this arena then things can be confusing and overwhelming. Do your market research due-diligence, consumers are not going to leave online shopping behind any time soon.  Here are a few options to get you started:

1. Website – An effective website is much more than a static placeholder. Take tips from articles like “10 Steps to Measuring Web Site Success” and the Google Blog.
2. Blog – Blogging can be very effective if done right. Refer to advice from successful bloggers like Chris Brogan, CopyBlogger, the Online Marketing Blog, and others.
3. Post Targeted Ads – These types of ads can create a broader online presence for your business and be targeted to your market.
4. Google AdWords – Create online ads based on a set of keywords and set your own budget.
5. Social Networking – This one can be tricky, and many people use it entirely the wrong way. However, if managed successfully, social networking can be a great way to build your brand and presence online. To start in the social networking arena (see Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), I suggest you do much more watching and listening in the beginning to get a feel for how it is done successfully in your market. Find and connect with others in your industry who have been successful, and define a strategy with measurable goals.

The most important thing about online advertising for your business is to start. Have questions on any of these advertising methods? Disagree with me? Have another to add? Post your 2 cents in the comment section below.

Photo credit: jaaron

If you know how to use Powerpoint, then you already have what it takes to market on SlideShare. The site allows you to upload presentations from Powerpoint, OpenOffice, or a PDF file, and share it publicly on the web. As is typical with most social sites, you can connect with other people, comment on their presentations, and develop conversations and relationships with people who are interested in what you have to say. Easily share a tutorial, embed the slideshow into a blog post (like on the Influential Marketing Blog), show off your accomplishments (like Guy Kawasaki), share about your business (like Zappos), promote a property listing (like Realtor Teri Michon), or include links to it from your blog and online marketing material. There are a hundred other ways to use the service… what ideas do you have?

SlideShare presentations are placed into categories for easy visitor searching and can include hyperlinks back to your site, YouTube videos, and voice narration. This can be a very powerful companion for your existing marketing strategy; it’s easy, effective, and free.

Monthly Newsletters

Monthly email newsletters are a great way to keep your clients updated.  These newsletters can highlight product updates, discounts, relevant news and even tips.  Most will appreciate news and tips you offer them especially if it relates to them.  Perfect example are Real Estate Agents.  If you have a client base of past buyers or even buyers who are on the fence, most will appreciate monthly newsletters informing them of the local housing market, real estate news, home selling tips, current loan rates and even local events.  This will position you as the local real estate expert and increase their confidence in you and your services.  Creating Real Estate Newsletters is snap with the SimplyConnect Newsletter system.

Your Blog

Yep, a blog!  Inform your clients about your blog and let them know you often post valuable information on it.  Place an RSS feed and/or a subscribe option on the blog that will allow your clients to easily subscribe to it.  Feedburner offers a blog subscription option that will allow your readers to receive emails everytime you make a post to your blog. Remember to fill your blog with valuable, relevant content that will also attract visitors from the web via search engines. Here are some tips for writing effective titles for your blog posts.

Cards

This can get expensive if you do it often but once or twice a year is a nice touch.  We send out Holiday cards each year to all of our ClassifiedFlyerAds.com subscribed members.  Many of them send us cards too and many others will send us a thank you email for the card.  It’s a great way to show your clients that you appreciate them.

How do you keep in touch with your clients? Let us know!

Photo credit: littledan77

Please don’t read that opening paragraph and start blindly buying ad spots across the internet, or start running pay-per-click campaigns without doing research. This type of action will most likely be a waste of your time and money. Instead, make an effort to research your target audience using online tools available, such as the Google AdWords Keyword Tool or the inbound marketing resources at HubSpot. Whatever time and effort it takes to do the research legwork will soon make up for itself many times over by providing valuable data for your target market, enabling you to effectively advertise your brand and business.

When you’re well informed and ready to start your online marketing campaign, there are many ways to make it a success. From blogging, to social networks, to targeted online ads via Google or ClassifiedFlyerAds, you can be confident in knowing that your online promotional efforts will yield higher quality results than print advertising has provided in a very long time. A closing note of caution; there are lots of ways to do online advertising and promotion the wrong way (i.e. spam, non-targeted, etc.) that will end up costing you your valuable time, money, and possibly even reputation. It is your duty and responsibility as a marketer or business owner to continually seek out knowledge and information that will make your online advertising a success.

Photo credit: Marshall Flickman