http://www.ideahatching.com/2007/07/02/add-your-business-listing-to-google-maps-its-easy/ A non-intimidating and fun approach to marketing online! Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:53:00 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 http://www.ideahatching.com/2007/07/02/add-your-business-listing-to-google-maps-its-easy/comment-page-1/#comment-2204 Idea Hatching » Marketing your website – the magic formula to success as defined by a couple of chicks [Internet search, marketing & measurement e-marketing blog] Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:02:20 +0000 http://www.ideahatching.com/?p=40#comment-2204 [...] 5. Simple website architecture with clear, simple navigation, limited distractions from flash or music, and a clear call to action.  Don’t forget to add your phone number and other contact details in a primary location (eyes usually scan the top left of a website first then zig zag right and down towards the centre).  Website usability should be addressed often and tested. 6. Understanding what you customers are looking for – pretty self explanatory 7. An online marketing budget.  The Internet has created a new marketing medium that should be addressed as a separate part of your marketing mix depending on how important your website is in generating sales.  If your website is your primary source for lead generation or sales, you should consider developing an online marketing budget that is separate from your offline marketing.  8. You want traffic now?  Paid search marketing is the most targeted and measurable form of advertising I have ever seen.  If you properly set up a paid search campaign – or have a firm do it for you, and you have the dollars to support it - then you can be found for your target search terms right away.  Also – try Google local advertising, it is a paid search vehicle but it is starting to replace the top “above the fold” results in the organic space.  This makes sense to anyone with a “bricks and mortar” business. 9. Commitment to ongoing quality content updates – this is important to both search engines and your customer.  The search engines love new content to index – they will rank your site higher if content is refreshed often, and customers will visit more often if there is something new to see.  You can add fresh content to your site easily by adding an RSS feed to your site and posting news, specials and other updates, adding a Blog or simply making sure that your website is current. 10.Web analytics – now this is a big one.  All of the above recommendations mean absolutely nothing unless you are properly measuring the success of your website.  [...] [...] 5. Simple website architecture with clear, simple navigation, limited distractions from flash or music, and a clear call to action.  Don’t forget to add your phone number and other contact details in a primary location (eyes usually scan the top left of a website first then zig zag right and down towards the centre).  Website usability should be addressed often and tested. 6. Understanding what you customers are looking for – pretty self explanatory 7. An online marketing budget.  The Internet has created a new marketing medium that should be addressed as a separate part of your marketing mix depending on how important your website is in generating sales.  If your website is your primary source for lead generation or sales, you should consider developing an online marketing budget that is separate from your offline marketing.  8. You want traffic now?  Paid search marketing is the most targeted and measurable form of advertising I have ever seen.  If you properly set up a paid search campaign – or have a firm do it for you, and you have the dollars to support it – then you can be found for your target search terms right away.  Also – try Google local advertising, it is a paid search vehicle but it is starting to replace the top “above the fold” results in the organic space.  This makes sense to anyone with a “bricks and mortar” business. 9. Commitment to ongoing quality content updates – this is important to both search engines and your customer.  The search engines love new content to index – they will rank your site higher if content is refreshed often, and customers will visit more often if there is something new to see.  You can add fresh content to your site easily by adding an RSS feed to your site and posting news, specials and other updates, adding a Blog or simply making sure that your website is current. 10.Web analytics – now this is a big one.  All of the above recommendations mean absolutely nothing unless you are properly measuring the success of your website.  [...]

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