Ewing Enterprise Gets Your Site Found

73.1% of North America is using the internet.   Can they find you?

Source: Internet World Stats, rates based on full year 2008.

Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a process that enables prospects to find your site using organic, or free search. SEO is one of the most cost effective ways to promote a website, increase traffic & improve conversion results. Search engine optimization involves the selection and use of key words and key phrases, combined with numerous other factors, that if successful, result in achieving a higher place in the results returned on a search engine page.

Paid Search or PPC

Unlike SEO, which is free, PPC or pay per click campaigns may be purchased to drive website traffic through advertisements placed on search engine advertising networks.

The two primary methods include:

• Paying a fee for an actual page ranking. In some cases, the more you pay, the higher you will rank. Examples include Shopping.com, NexTag, Pricegrabber and Shopzilla.
• Bidding on keywords or phrases that appear in, or are associated with, text advertisements. Example:  Google AdWords

With careful attention to PPC keywords, ad copy, price, headlines, geo-targeting, dayparting, landing pages & other ROI factors, PPC campaigns can deliver significant results.

Landing Pages

A landing page is a type of greeting page – pages that is an extension of the PPC or direct mail advertisement in look, feel and message and helps bridge the advertisement to the website by greeting the visitor.

Landing pages should let the visitor immediately know they have arrived at the right place and alleviate any concerns that would cause the visitor to hit the back button. Well-designed landing pages increase conversion rates, such as completing a form, completing a purchase, etc. and improve the ability to track ROI for marketing campaigns.

Social media marketing

Social media sites, when used correctly, can provide an environment for creating business relationships and building awareness with a group of users that can, and probably already are, influencing your market.

According to a September 2008 study conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for Cone, nearly six out of 10 Americans who use social media interact with companies on social media websites. The researchers found 85% of social media users thought companies should interact with their consumers through social media, at least when needed.

Blog Advertising

One popular method of advertising is on blogs and websites through affiliate programs.  Affiliate networks are intermediaries that connect advertisers with websites and manage the payment process.

Affiliate advertising differs from pay per click advertising in that fees are generally paid as a % of sale rather than for the click. The blogger or website owner applies to be accepted into the advertiser’s affiliate program and, if accepted, selects from an inventory of ads to placed on their site. The most common ad is a 125 pixel by 125 pixel size ad format.

When someone clicks the ad, goes to the site and purchases a product, the website owner earns a commission based on an amount that was previously established according to the program.

Blog advertising is increasingly becoming an important part of the online marketing mix. A 2008 Jupiter Research study found that more than a quarter of people that read more than one blog per month trust blog advertising. Additional demographic findings from this study were that multi-blog readers tended to be in their thirties with incomes over $75,000 per year – a demographic sought after by most all online retailers.

Many major blogs offer advertising directly on their websites. Major blogs will have a “how to advertise page” while others can be contacted directly requesting rates.  Rates can range from $10 per month to $10,000 per month.

Considerations prior to advertising include blog content, traffic, impressions and the tactics used to achieve traffic. Alexa ranking, number of comments and page rank should also be taken into consideration, with an understanding that some factors can be manipulated.

Webinars

Webinars are simply seminars conducted over the web using webinar technology that allows everyone to see the same thing, at the same time, while you talk.

Webinars are a very effective marketing tool that can be used in a variety of ways:

Host a webinar on a scheduled basis for prospects, such as once a week, for an online product overview (sign up is via an online form on your website)

Conduct training seminars and product updates for existing customers

Partner with other industry organizations that offer webinars to their user base on current topics and industry education.