by Dina Giolitto
Following are Five Immediate Changes You Can Make to Drive Traffic and Sales Through the Roof!
1. Put More Oomph in Your Articles.
Don't tell the reader what he "could" do; tell him what he MUST do! Which of these sounds more dynamic to you: great copy, or brilliant copy? Speak in an authoritative tone, and you will be regarded as an authority. Go bookmark http://thesaurus.com in your favorites folder right now. You NEED power words to make your copy pop!2. Tell the Reader Exactly What to Do.
Ever read someone else's web page and find yourself going into "the zone?" That happens to your reader, too. Snap him into action while he's caught in the trance. Click Here. Buy Now. Pop Your Email Address in the Subscriber Box Below. Seems almost silly, right? But call to actions are everywhere because they really WORK.3. For the Love of God, Dumb it Down.
Here's a big goof that new web writers frequently make: writing copy that's too abstract, too esoteric, too philosophical. Translation: you MUST dumb it down. This is the web, we're all distracted as heck. I guarantee, nobody will think less of you if you simplify your concepts and language. Equate your web copy with a highway billboard. Surfers are cruising by, no heavy reading is going on here. Just trust me on this one, Smarty Pants.4. Tell Them How It's Done.
Another common content error: letting your reader know what he CAN do, but never telling him HOW to do it. Today's web has everyone falling all over themselves to give away free information. If you do not inform your reader with the basics of how to accomplish a task, perform a function or use a new tool, I guarantee he will find out from someone else. 5. Be a Branding Whore!
Spend enough time hanging out in online networks, and you will recognize the Power Players by their ID Badge - that signoff that distinguishes what they do and lists their URL. Brand your business in every single email, article, forum post and blog entry that you write. NEVER assume taht everyone in the group knows you. Someone new will always come by... and can leave again just as quickly. Make your mark everywhere you can.
Are YOU Content With Your Content? Get Top Secret Marketing Tips from the Web's Biggest Gurus and Expert Authors on The First Annual Web Content Awareness Day on FEBRUARY 9, 2006.
Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.
To become a contributor, please visit http://wordfeeder.com/wcad/landingpage.html
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dina Giolitto is a copywriting consultant and ghostwriter with over 10 years of experience writing corporate print materials and web content. Trust her with your next e-book, article series or web project, and make a lasting impression on your audience of information-hungry prospects. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for more details.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Monday, November 14, 2005
An awesome resource for checking links to your site
I got an email the other day with the subject "Awesome Website tool" and kept the email to read later. I always keep these types of emails because I absolutely love these tools made to help us fellow webmasters.
I finally had a chance to check it out today and I would have to say that the tool is awesome. Basically you go to the link and type your domain and it finds all your backlinks. It shows the link that is pointing at your site as well as the anchor test.
I am definately adding this site to my Favorites/Bookmarks to use later.
Want the link? Here ya go. Enjoy!!
http://www.helpfulinformation.org/seo-tools/anchortext.pl
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Mommy Enterprises
Helping Moms Make & Save At Home
http://www.MommyEnterprises.com
I finally had a chance to check it out today and I would have to say that the tool is awesome. Basically you go to the link and type your domain and it finds all your backlinks. It shows the link that is pointing at your site as well as the anchor test.
I am definately adding this site to my Favorites/Bookmarks to use later.
Want the link? Here ya go. Enjoy!!
http://www.helpfulinformation.org/seo-tools/anchortext.pl
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Mommy Enterprises
Helping Moms Make & Save At Home
http://www.MommyEnterprises.com
Monday, August 01, 2005
New Article I Wrote Today
Ideas on Promoting Your Home Business Opportunity
By Stefani Partin
Have you got yourself into a home business opportunity but don’tknow where to begin to generate yourself some leads? That happensamong many of us that join a home business opportunity, you arenot alone. Many will join and give up before really putting any effortinto the business. Those who are determined will put forth effort and succeed with effort.
When you become a home based business owner, you will want to getthe word out. First off,tell the people in your warm market, your friendsand family and maybe even co-workers. Don’t stop there. Create yourself some business cards on your computer or even order some online. Vistaprinto ffers 250 professional cards FREE of charge, you just pay the small shipping and handling fee. I have found these FREE cards very useful. What I would do is order some professional cards to hand out to those you
come in contact with. Then if you can, create a bunch on your computer that you will use as drop cards. Drop cards are business cards that you leave everywhere you go. Remember, nobody will visit your site if they can’t find you. The more cards you get out to the public, the better chance of getting someone interested in what you have to offer.
You might be thinking that you don’t know anyone to give business cards too, well if you think that you are wrong. Include a card in everything you send out in the mail. If you dine out, leave one with your tip. Always keep a stack in your car as you just never know when you will need one. There are many places you can leave cards, the sky is the limit.
Drive your car a lot? Why not use your vehicle as a method of advertising. I did this last year by buying two magnets for each side of my vehicle’s door. The magnets have a few bright colors on them, therefore catching attention. Be sure you magnet says something catchy and make sure you have ways of contact on your magnet. Be sure to include a phone number and your website link if you have one. I got mine online and very affordable at www.jalapenodesigns.com.
Another great method in generating leads is by online advertising. You got to do your research first before jumping into this one. You will find you can place ads on all sorts of websites and online newsletters. My preference would be placing ads in newsletters. Be sure that the ad is placed in your “niche” market. Don’t place an ad on a site or newsletter that is not similar to your companies market. Also, when placing ads on websites, be sure to ask the webmaster what their unique daily or monthly visitors is, not the hits. Most people, not familiar to webstats will look for the hits which is not an accurate number of the visitors to a website. Remember to do your research first, there is LOTS of places online that you can WASTE your hard earned money.
One of my favorite ways on generating visitors to my sites is through online message forums and discussion groups. There are millions of forums online. The forums range from every kind of topic you can think of. Find a message forum on a topic you can relate to and become an expert in that topic. Most forums will let you put a signature line at the end of your post. You will be surprised the amount of visitors that will come to your site coming from a signature line in a post. I have been very successful with this method and have tracked my website stats to verify it. It won’t bring in millions of visitors, but it’s better then nothing.
And lastly, don’t forget your signature line of your emails. If you send emails all the time and don’t have a signature file that goes out with each email, you are losing out on lots of free advertising opportunities. If you are the type of person that receives lots of say joke emails and forwards them, you are missing out on even more advertising. You just never know who is going to see an email, see your link and click it. Don’t miss out on any free advertising you can get. Every bit of effort counts.
Don’t give up in the beginning like most do. If you believe in your company, stick it out. There are always ups and downs and any real business takes work and effort to build it. Find something you have a passion for and you will fly upwards.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Stefani owns MommyEnterprises.com as well as a few other
websites that focus on helping moms work from home. Subscribe
to her free newsletter "The Making Money Newsletter For Moms"
and receive a free work at home ebook and more. Subscribe by
sending an email to makingmoneymoms-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
By Stefani Partin
Have you got yourself into a home business opportunity but don’tknow where to begin to generate yourself some leads? That happensamong many of us that join a home business opportunity, you arenot alone. Many will join and give up before really putting any effortinto the business. Those who are determined will put forth effort and succeed with effort.
When you become a home based business owner, you will want to getthe word out. First off,tell the people in your warm market, your friendsand family and maybe even co-workers. Don’t stop there. Create yourself some business cards on your computer or even order some online. Vistaprinto ffers 250 professional cards FREE of charge, you just pay the small shipping and handling fee. I have found these FREE cards very useful. What I would do is order some professional cards to hand out to those you
come in contact with. Then if you can, create a bunch on your computer that you will use as drop cards. Drop cards are business cards that you leave everywhere you go. Remember, nobody will visit your site if they can’t find you. The more cards you get out to the public, the better chance of getting someone interested in what you have to offer.
You might be thinking that you don’t know anyone to give business cards too, well if you think that you are wrong. Include a card in everything you send out in the mail. If you dine out, leave one with your tip. Always keep a stack in your car as you just never know when you will need one. There are many places you can leave cards, the sky is the limit.
Drive your car a lot? Why not use your vehicle as a method of advertising. I did this last year by buying two magnets for each side of my vehicle’s door. The magnets have a few bright colors on them, therefore catching attention. Be sure you magnet says something catchy and make sure you have ways of contact on your magnet. Be sure to include a phone number and your website link if you have one. I got mine online and very affordable at www.jalapenodesigns.com.
Another great method in generating leads is by online advertising. You got to do your research first before jumping into this one. You will find you can place ads on all sorts of websites and online newsletters. My preference would be placing ads in newsletters. Be sure that the ad is placed in your “niche” market. Don’t place an ad on a site or newsletter that is not similar to your companies market. Also, when placing ads on websites, be sure to ask the webmaster what their unique daily or monthly visitors is, not the hits. Most people, not familiar to webstats will look for the hits which is not an accurate number of the visitors to a website. Remember to do your research first, there is LOTS of places online that you can WASTE your hard earned money.
One of my favorite ways on generating visitors to my sites is through online message forums and discussion groups. There are millions of forums online. The forums range from every kind of topic you can think of. Find a message forum on a topic you can relate to and become an expert in that topic. Most forums will let you put a signature line at the end of your post. You will be surprised the amount of visitors that will come to your site coming from a signature line in a post. I have been very successful with this method and have tracked my website stats to verify it. It won’t bring in millions of visitors, but it’s better then nothing.
And lastly, don’t forget your signature line of your emails. If you send emails all the time and don’t have a signature file that goes out with each email, you are losing out on lots of free advertising opportunities. If you are the type of person that receives lots of say joke emails and forwards them, you are missing out on even more advertising. You just never know who is going to see an email, see your link and click it. Don’t miss out on any free advertising you can get. Every bit of effort counts.
Don’t give up in the beginning like most do. If you believe in your company, stick it out. There are always ups and downs and any real business takes work and effort to build it. Find something you have a passion for and you will fly upwards.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Stefani owns MommyEnterprises.com as well as a few other
websites that focus on helping moms work from home. Subscribe
to her free newsletter "The Making Money Newsletter For Moms"
and receive a free work at home ebook and more. Subscribe by
sending an email to makingmoneymoms-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Saturday, July 16, 2005
My upcoming traffic exchange blogs
For those that believe in traffic exchange programs, I am creating a blog that will review various online traffic exchange programs or also known as startpage programs. There are techniques in using these, tips and secrets I want to share as I learn.
I myself have gained alot of FREE traffic from these types of programs.
Here is the link to my upcoming blog
Traffic Exchange Notes
http://www.mommyportal.com/traffic-exchanges
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
I myself have gained alot of FREE traffic from these types of programs.
Here is the link to my upcoming blog
Traffic Exchange Notes
http://www.mommyportal.com/traffic-exchanges
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Some SEO Tips To Remember
Below are some tips to remember when setting up a new website.
1. First make sure that you buy a good domain. Try to include
your type of business in your domain. For example I have a website
with classifieds for work at home opportunities. I own the domain
www.TheWorkAtHomeClassifieds.com.
2. When naming each file of your website, try to use the theme of
the page in your filename as well. If you are using something that
is two words use the - and not the _ . For example if you were
creating a page on mortgage refinancing you could create the
filename mortgage-refinancing.html.
3. Be sure to add the title tag to your website . Use your important keywords in this tag and try using thest ones in the beginning. For example, if your webpage is about mortgage
refinancing tips, be sure that your title tag reads "Mortgage Refinancing Tips".
4. Be sure to include your main keywords in the content of your
webpages as well. Don't overdo it. Each search engine determines
your keyword density of the webpage in differnet ways. Here is a
neat little tool to anyalyze your keyword density:
http://www.ranks.nl/tools/spider.html
5. Last but not least, don't forget to get inbound links. I recommend
creating a link directory of some on your website. Make sure you
welcome your visitors to exchange links. Don't refuse a link to your
site because it is not the same theme of your site. If you have a good
website, people will naturally want to link to your site.
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
1. First make sure that you buy a good domain. Try to include
your type of business in your domain. For example I have a website
with classifieds for work at home opportunities. I own the domain
www.TheWorkAtHomeClassifieds.com.
2. When naming each file of your website, try to use the theme of
the page in your filename as well. If you are using something that
is two words use the - and not the _ . For example if you were
creating a page on mortgage refinancing you could create the
filename mortgage-refinancing.html.
3. Be sure to add the title tag to your website . Use your important keywords in this tag and try using thest ones in the beginning. For example, if your webpage is about mortgage
refinancing tips, be sure that your title tag reads "Mortgage Refinancing Tips".
4. Be sure to include your main keywords in the content of your
webpages as well. Don't overdo it. Each search engine determines
your keyword density of the webpage in differnet ways. Here is a
neat little tool to anyalyze your keyword density:
http://www.ranks.nl/tools/spider.html
5. Last but not least, don't forget to get inbound links. I recommend
creating a link directory of some on your website. Make sure you
welcome your visitors to exchange links. Don't refuse a link to your
site because it is not the same theme of your site. If you have a good
website, people will naturally want to link to your site.
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Saturday, May 21, 2005
15 Easy Ways to Grow Your Subscriber List
by Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen"
While there are seemingly endless ways to promote your e-zine and attract new subscribers, here's a list of my favorite 15. Which ones are YOU using?
Print this out and check those you already do, and note those you should "get a move on."
___ 1. Tell your clients, associates, and friends. Send out one of your best issues (or your first issue) as a sample issue, inviting them to sign up if they like it. (Never sign anyone up without his/her permission.)
___ 2. Put a signup form on your home page and every page of your Web site. No matter what page people may land on, this way they'll know about your amazing e-zine. Don't let them click away and lose them forever!
___ 3. Use a pop-up or pop-under box on your site. Yes, they're irritating if abused, but I can tell you they work. Studies show pop-ups/unders can increase your e-zine signups by up to 10 times! Give it a try and test it. (You can see my pop-under here.)
___ 4. Offer a free goodie for new subscribers. We all get so much e-mail these days, that you have to work hard to get anyone's e-mail address. Offer new subscribers a valuable free article, report, resource list, e-book, etc.
___ 5. Offer a free sample issue on your Web site or have one available by e-mail autoresponder. Some people won't sign up for anything until they can see it first.
___ 6. List your e-zine in free e-zine directories. There are hundreds of these on the Web where people visit to search for e-zines on particular topics. Make sure you're here so you can be found! (One of the best is Charlie Page's Directory of E-zines.)
___ 7. Swap ads with other e-zines. Search online e-zine directories for other e-zines whose target readership matches yours, and contact their publishers. Swap at least three ads in a row for best results.
___ 8. Buy ads in other e-zines. Again, search those directories for other e-zines whose target readership matches yours, and see their ad specifications and rates. Purchase at least three ads in a row for best results.
___ 9. Plug your e-zine in your e-mail signature. After your usual contact information at the bottom of all your e-mails, be sure to include a two- or three-line plug for your e-zine.
___ 10. Get published in OTHER e-zines. There are dozens of Web sites where other publishers visit to pick up free content for their e-zines. Why not post YOUR articles there for them to use? You get free exposure and plenty of traffic back to your site
___ 11. Do a co-op with other e-zine subscribers. You can cross-promote with other e-zine publishers on your own, or use an automated service such as Subscription Rocket.
___ 12. Try a pay-for-subscriber service. These services advertise your e-zine for you and bring you subscribers automatically for as little as 10 to 30 cents apiece. One with a good reputation is Lead Factory.
___ 13. Announce your e-zine to all of the professional organizations and associations you're a member of. They usually allow you to make announcements in their newsletters or on their online bulletin boards.
___ 14. Advertise your e-zine on the back of your business cards. In the text, be sure to tell people how they can sign up for your e-zine.
___ 15. Become active in a few online forums where your ideal readers hang out. In your posts, position yourself as a resource in your area of expertise, and include a signature file that promotes your e-zine!
For STEP-BY-STEP instructions on all of these strategies (and dozens more) see my SPECIAL REPORT: "101 Simple, FREE and Low-Cost Ways to Quickly Build a MASSIVE EMAIL LIST".
© 2003-2005 Alexandria K. Brown WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is creator of the award-winning 'Boost Business With Your Own E-zine' system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to articles and FREE audio class, visit
"EzineQueen.com".
While there are seemingly endless ways to promote your e-zine and attract new subscribers, here's a list of my favorite 15. Which ones are YOU using?
Print this out and check those you already do, and note those you should "get a move on."
___ 1. Tell your clients, associates, and friends. Send out one of your best issues (or your first issue) as a sample issue, inviting them to sign up if they like it. (Never sign anyone up without his/her permission.)
___ 2. Put a signup form on your home page and every page of your Web site. No matter what page people may land on, this way they'll know about your amazing e-zine. Don't let them click away and lose them forever!
___ 3. Use a pop-up or pop-under box on your site. Yes, they're irritating if abused, but I can tell you they work. Studies show pop-ups/unders can increase your e-zine signups by up to 10 times! Give it a try and test it. (You can see my pop-under here.)
___ 4. Offer a free goodie for new subscribers. We all get so much e-mail these days, that you have to work hard to get anyone's e-mail address. Offer new subscribers a valuable free article, report, resource list, e-book, etc.
___ 5. Offer a free sample issue on your Web site or have one available by e-mail autoresponder. Some people won't sign up for anything until they can see it first.
___ 6. List your e-zine in free e-zine directories. There are hundreds of these on the Web where people visit to search for e-zines on particular topics. Make sure you're here so you can be found! (One of the best is Charlie Page's Directory of E-zines.)
___ 7. Swap ads with other e-zines. Search online e-zine directories for other e-zines whose target readership matches yours, and contact their publishers. Swap at least three ads in a row for best results.
___ 8. Buy ads in other e-zines. Again, search those directories for other e-zines whose target readership matches yours, and see their ad specifications and rates. Purchase at least three ads in a row for best results.
___ 9. Plug your e-zine in your e-mail signature. After your usual contact information at the bottom of all your e-mails, be sure to include a two- or three-line plug for your e-zine.
___ 10. Get published in OTHER e-zines. There are dozens of Web sites where other publishers visit to pick up free content for their e-zines. Why not post YOUR articles there for them to use? You get free exposure and plenty of traffic back to your site
___ 11. Do a co-op with other e-zine subscribers. You can cross-promote with other e-zine publishers on your own, or use an automated service such as Subscription Rocket.
___ 12. Try a pay-for-subscriber service. These services advertise your e-zine for you and bring you subscribers automatically for as little as 10 to 30 cents apiece. One with a good reputation is Lead Factory.
___ 13. Announce your e-zine to all of the professional organizations and associations you're a member of. They usually allow you to make announcements in their newsletters or on their online bulletin boards.
___ 14. Advertise your e-zine on the back of your business cards. In the text, be sure to tell people how they can sign up for your e-zine.
___ 15. Become active in a few online forums where your ideal readers hang out. In your posts, position yourself as a resource in your area of expertise, and include a signature file that promotes your e-zine!
For STEP-BY-STEP instructions on all of these strategies (and dozens more) see my SPECIAL REPORT: "101 Simple, FREE and Low-Cost Ways to Quickly Build a MASSIVE EMAIL LIST".
© 2003-2005 Alexandria K. Brown WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is creator of the award-winning 'Boost Business With Your Own E-zine' system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to articles and FREE audio class, visit
"EzineQueen.com".
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Three Ways to Get Top Quality Content for Your Niche Websites
Hi everyone, I am busy adding content to MommyPortal. I found an article I thought you might enjoy.
Stefani Partin
http://www.mommyportal.com
Three Ways to Get Top Quality Content for Your Niche Websites
Good, popular, profitable niche topic websites need good content.Period. You and I both know this.
Now, there are many ways to get content online...
1. You can hire freelance writers, and have them create custom contentto be used by you exclusively. This is the best way to get content,because if you choose your writers well, you can get decent content onthe topic of your choice. And chances are pretty slim that anyone elseonline will have the exact same content you have. The cheapest rateI've seen this service at though, is $4 per article. Usually it's morelike $10 and up per article if you want good content. So a mere 20articles will cost you at least two hundred bucks!
2. Another great way to get content online though, is to joinmembership sites like Nicheology and Push Button Health. These sitesgive you a steady flow of rough draft content for one set price eachmonth. The content usually needs some work, but it's generally worthit for the price paid. The catch though, is that these sites areusually filled to their limit. So if you want to join, you'll findyourself waiting in line... sometimes for over 6 months!The other problem with membership sites is the number of people whohave access to the exact same content. Nicheology for instance, limits the number of active members to 1500. That's 1499 other people besidesyourself who have access to the exact same content. BUT... that's notincluding all of the previous members who ALSO had access to thatcontent... and it's not including all of the new members who will comearound in the future. They'll have access to that same content as well.
3. Now, one more excellent way to get website content is through freearticle distribution websites and mailing lists. You can literally getthousands upon thousands of articles completely free this way. There'sa couple of catches to this method though... First: You have to keepthe author's name on the article. You're not allowed to change or editthe article. Usually you're not even allowed to link to one of yourwebsites, pages or affiliate programs from within the article either.Then you have to include the "bio box" at the end of the article. This- by the way - tends to be an advertisement of some sort. And last butnot least: You have to link to the author's website. And in manycases, you have to link to several of the author's websites.
Oh yeah... one more thing about these free articles: Since they'refree - tens of thousands of other websites use them too!
Putting quality content on your website will help bring in relevant,targeted traffic. And that usually brings in more clicks... and moresales. Hopefully the above brief comparison helps you understand thedifferent ways to get content for your site. Study them fully, andchoose which one works best for you, your site needs, and your budget.
2005 Kathy Burns-MillyardVisit The Guru Gazette at http://www.gurugazette.com/ for more ofKathy's articles, tips and advice. Also check out her brand newarticle content packages: http://www.gurugazette.com/Content-Packs/You can get 20 quality articles for niche topic websites at just $0.74each!
Stefani Partin
http://www.mommyportal.com
Three Ways to Get Top Quality Content for Your Niche Websites
Good, popular, profitable niche topic websites need good content.Period. You and I both know this.
Now, there are many ways to get content online...
1. You can hire freelance writers, and have them create custom contentto be used by you exclusively. This is the best way to get content,because if you choose your writers well, you can get decent content onthe topic of your choice. And chances are pretty slim that anyone elseonline will have the exact same content you have. The cheapest rateI've seen this service at though, is $4 per article. Usually it's morelike $10 and up per article if you want good content. So a mere 20articles will cost you at least two hundred bucks!
2. Another great way to get content online though, is to joinmembership sites like Nicheology and Push Button Health. These sitesgive you a steady flow of rough draft content for one set price eachmonth. The content usually needs some work, but it's generally worthit for the price paid. The catch though, is that these sites areusually filled to their limit. So if you want to join, you'll findyourself waiting in line... sometimes for over 6 months!The other problem with membership sites is the number of people whohave access to the exact same content. Nicheology for instance, limits the number of active members to 1500. That's 1499 other people besidesyourself who have access to the exact same content. BUT... that's notincluding all of the previous members who ALSO had access to thatcontent... and it's not including all of the new members who will comearound in the future. They'll have access to that same content as well.
3. Now, one more excellent way to get website content is through freearticle distribution websites and mailing lists. You can literally getthousands upon thousands of articles completely free this way. There'sa couple of catches to this method though... First: You have to keepthe author's name on the article. You're not allowed to change or editthe article. Usually you're not even allowed to link to one of yourwebsites, pages or affiliate programs from within the article either.Then you have to include the "bio box" at the end of the article. This- by the way - tends to be an advertisement of some sort. And last butnot least: You have to link to the author's website. And in manycases, you have to link to several of the author's websites.
Oh yeah... one more thing about these free articles: Since they'refree - tens of thousands of other websites use them too!
Putting quality content on your website will help bring in relevant,targeted traffic. And that usually brings in more clicks... and moresales. Hopefully the above brief comparison helps you understand thedifferent ways to get content for your site. Study them fully, andchoose which one works best for you, your site needs, and your budget.
2005 Kathy Burns-MillyardVisit The Guru Gazette at http://www.gurugazette.com/ for more ofKathy's articles, tips and advice. Also check out her brand newarticle content packages: http://www.gurugazette.com/Content-Packs/You can get 20 quality articles for niche topic websites at just $0.74each!
Sunday, April 17, 2005
10 Keys to Cop That Sells
by Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen"
Whether you're selling a product or service, the 10 tips below are your keys to writing great copy that communicates and persuades ... to get results! These guidelines can apply to Web copy, e-mail, sales letters, brochures, direct mail, and more. As long as your goal is to elicit a reaction from your reader, you've come to the right place.
1. Be reader-centered, not writer-centered.
Many ads, brochures, and Web sites talk endlessly on and on about how great their products and companies are. Hello? Customer, anyone? Think of your reader thinking, "What's in it for me?" If you can, talk with some of your current customers and ask them 1) why they chose you, and 2) what they get out of your product or service. TIP: To instantly make your copy more reader-focused, insert the word "you" often.
2. Focus on the benefits -- not just the features.
The fact that your product or service offers a lot of neat features is great, but what do they DO for your customer? Do they save her time or money? Give her peace of mind? Raise her image to a certain status? Here's an example: If you go buy a pair of Gucci sunglasses, you're not just looking for good UV protection. You're buying the sleek, stylish Gucci look. So that's what Gucci sells. You don't see their ads talk about how well made their sunglasses are. Think about what your customers are REALLY looking for.
Now, what does an insurance broker sell? Policies?
Nope -- peace of mind. (See? You've got it.)
3. Draw them in with a killer headline.
The first thing your reader sees can mean the difference between success and failure. Today's ads are chock full of clever headlines that play on words. They're cute, but most of them aren't effective. There are many ways to get attention in a headline, but it's safest to appeal to your reader's interests and concerns. And again, remember to make it reader centered -- no one gives a hoot about your company.
Bad: "SuccessCorp Creates Amazing New Financial Program" Better: "Turn Your Finances Around in 30 Days!"
4. Use engaging subheads.
Like mini-headlines, subheads help readers quickly understand your main points by making the copy "skimmable." Because subheads catch readers" eyes, you should use them to your benefit! Read through your copy for your main promotional points, then summarize the ideas as subheads. To make your subheads engaging, it's important to include action or selling elements.
Bad: "Our Department's Successes." Better: "Meet Five Clients Who Saved $10K With Us."
5. Be conversational.
Write to your customers like you'd talk to them. Don't be afraid of using conversational phrases such as "So what's next?" or "Here's how do we do this." Avoid formality and use short, easy words. Why? Even if you think it can't possibly be misunderstood, a few people will still be confused. Plus, being conversational helps prospects feel like they can trust you more.
6. Nix the jargon.
Avoid industry jargon and buzzwords -- stick to the facts and the benefits. An easy way to weed out jargon is to think of dear old Mom reading your copy. Would she get it? If not, clarify and simplify. (This rule, of course, varies, depending on who your target audience is. For a business audience, you should upscale your words to what they're used to. In some industries, buzzwords are crucial. Just make sure your points don't get muddled in them!)
7. Keep it brief and digestible.
No one has time to weed through lengthy prose these days. The faster you convey your product or service's benefits to the reader, the more likely you'll keep her reading. Fire your "biggest gun" first by beginning with your biggest benefit -- if you put it toward the end of your copy, you risk losing the reader before she gets to it. Aim for sentence lengths of less than 20 words. When possible, break up copy with subheads (see no. 4), bullets, numbers, or em dashes (like the one following this phrase) -- these make your points easy to digest.
8. Use testimonials when possible.
Let your prospects know they won't be the first to try you. Give results-oriented testimonials from customers who have benefited immensely from your product or service. Oh, and never give people's initials only -- it reminds me of those ads in the back of magazines with headlines like "L0se 50 P0unds in 3 Days!" Give people's full names with their titles and companies (or towns and states of residence) -- and be sure to get their permission first.
9. Ask for the order!
Tell your reader what you want her to do -- don't leave her hanging. Do you want her to call you or e-mail you for more information? 0rder n0w? Call to schedule a free consultation? Complete a brief survey? Think about what you'd most like her to do, and then ask her. It's amazing how many marketing materials I come across every day that don't make it clear what the reader should do. If you wrote interesting copy, your reader may forget you're trying to sell something. Tell her what to do, and she'll be more likely to do it.
10. Have your copy proofread!
Good. Now have it proofread again. Don't risk printing any typos, misspellings, or grammatical mistakes that will represent your company as amateurs. Hire a professional editor or proofreader to clean up your work. Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impession! Oops -- impression.
© 2001-2005 Alexandria K. Brown
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is creator of the award-winning 'Boost Business With Your Own E-zine' system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to articles and FREE audio class, visit www.ezinequeen.com
Whether you're selling a product or service, the 10 tips below are your keys to writing great copy that communicates and persuades ... to get results! These guidelines can apply to Web copy, e-mail, sales letters, brochures, direct mail, and more. As long as your goal is to elicit a reaction from your reader, you've come to the right place.
1. Be reader-centered, not writer-centered.
Many ads, brochures, and Web sites talk endlessly on and on about how great their products and companies are. Hello? Customer, anyone? Think of your reader thinking, "What's in it for me?" If you can, talk with some of your current customers and ask them 1) why they chose you, and 2) what they get out of your product or service. TIP: To instantly make your copy more reader-focused, insert the word "you" often.
2. Focus on the benefits -- not just the features.
The fact that your product or service offers a lot of neat features is great, but what do they DO for your customer? Do they save her time or money? Give her peace of mind? Raise her image to a certain status? Here's an example: If you go buy a pair of Gucci sunglasses, you're not just looking for good UV protection. You're buying the sleek, stylish Gucci look. So that's what Gucci sells. You don't see their ads talk about how well made their sunglasses are. Think about what your customers are REALLY looking for.
Now, what does an insurance broker sell? Policies?
Nope -- peace of mind. (See? You've got it.)
3. Draw them in with a killer headline.
The first thing your reader sees can mean the difference between success and failure. Today's ads are chock full of clever headlines that play on words. They're cute, but most of them aren't effective. There are many ways to get attention in a headline, but it's safest to appeal to your reader's interests and concerns. And again, remember to make it reader centered -- no one gives a hoot about your company.
Bad: "SuccessCorp Creates Amazing New Financial Program" Better: "Turn Your Finances Around in 30 Days!"
4. Use engaging subheads.
Like mini-headlines, subheads help readers quickly understand your main points by making the copy "skimmable." Because subheads catch readers" eyes, you should use them to your benefit! Read through your copy for your main promotional points, then summarize the ideas as subheads. To make your subheads engaging, it's important to include action or selling elements.
Bad: "Our Department's Successes." Better: "Meet Five Clients Who Saved $10K With Us."
5. Be conversational.
Write to your customers like you'd talk to them. Don't be afraid of using conversational phrases such as "So what's next?" or "Here's how do we do this." Avoid formality and use short, easy words. Why? Even if you think it can't possibly be misunderstood, a few people will still be confused. Plus, being conversational helps prospects feel like they can trust you more.
6. Nix the jargon.
Avoid industry jargon and buzzwords -- stick to the facts and the benefits. An easy way to weed out jargon is to think of dear old Mom reading your copy. Would she get it? If not, clarify and simplify. (This rule, of course, varies, depending on who your target audience is. For a business audience, you should upscale your words to what they're used to. In some industries, buzzwords are crucial. Just make sure your points don't get muddled in them!)
7. Keep it brief and digestible.
No one has time to weed through lengthy prose these days. The faster you convey your product or service's benefits to the reader, the more likely you'll keep her reading. Fire your "biggest gun" first by beginning with your biggest benefit -- if you put it toward the end of your copy, you risk losing the reader before she gets to it. Aim for sentence lengths of less than 20 words. When possible, break up copy with subheads (see no. 4), bullets, numbers, or em dashes (like the one following this phrase) -- these make your points easy to digest.
8. Use testimonials when possible.
Let your prospects know they won't be the first to try you. Give results-oriented testimonials from customers who have benefited immensely from your product or service. Oh, and never give people's initials only -- it reminds me of those ads in the back of magazines with headlines like "L0se 50 P0unds in 3 Days!" Give people's full names with their titles and companies (or towns and states of residence) -- and be sure to get their permission first.
9. Ask for the order!
Tell your reader what you want her to do -- don't leave her hanging. Do you want her to call you or e-mail you for more information? 0rder n0w? Call to schedule a free consultation? Complete a brief survey? Think about what you'd most like her to do, and then ask her. It's amazing how many marketing materials I come across every day that don't make it clear what the reader should do. If you wrote interesting copy, your reader may forget you're trying to sell something. Tell her what to do, and she'll be more likely to do it.
10. Have your copy proofread!
Good. Now have it proofread again. Don't risk printing any typos, misspellings, or grammatical mistakes that will represent your company as amateurs. Hire a professional editor or proofreader to clean up your work. Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impession! Oops -- impression.
© 2001-2005 Alexandria K. Brown
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is creator of the award-winning 'Boost Business With Your Own E-zine' system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to articles and FREE audio class, visit www.ezinequeen.com
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Need Content?
I have found myself recently looking for free content for
my websites.
Below are some sites that I found useful for free content:
Free Sticky - Free content and webmaster tools
Home-Based Business Online Articles by Elena Fawkner
Saving Secrets - Free Money Saving Articles
Find Sticky - Lots of various website content
Enjoy
Stefani Partin
Mommy Portal
The Web Portal For The WAHM
http://www.MommyPortal.com
my websites.
Below are some sites that I found useful for free content:
Free Sticky - Free content and webmaster tools
Home-Based Business Online Articles by Elena Fawkner
Saving Secrets - Free Money Saving Articles
Find Sticky - Lots of various website content
Enjoy
Stefani Partin
Mommy Portal
The Web Portal For The WAHM
http://www.MommyPortal.com
Saturday, March 19, 2005
3 Reasons why your site isn't being visited
Every wondered how all those other sites get tons of visitors and your doesn't?
Below are 3 reasons why your site isnt being visited:
1. You don't offer something free. People like to see the word FREE. Offer
some sort of freebie on your site. Some ideas include a free contest,
free ebook, free recipes, free report, free tips, and free shipping.
2. You don't offer original content. Be sure to have content on your site
that isn't offered on another site. It is okay to use others content such
as articles but be sure to include content of your own. If you offer your
visitors something they can't find somewhere else, they will be bound
to visit your site.
3. You do not have any incoming links to your site. The search engines
will not find you if there is no other sites linking to you. In fact the more
your site is listed on others sites, the more likely your site will be indexed.
If you don't have a link exchange or directory on your site, I would advise
setting one up. Then exchange links with sites related to yours.
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Url Affiliates
A Mom's Affiliate Directory
http://www.urlaffiliates.com
Below are 3 reasons why your site isnt being visited:
1. You don't offer something free. People like to see the word FREE. Offer
some sort of freebie on your site. Some ideas include a free contest,
free ebook, free recipes, free report, free tips, and free shipping.
2. You don't offer original content. Be sure to have content on your site
that isn't offered on another site. It is okay to use others content such
as articles but be sure to include content of your own. If you offer your
visitors something they can't find somewhere else, they will be bound
to visit your site.
3. You do not have any incoming links to your site. The search engines
will not find you if there is no other sites linking to you. In fact the more
your site is listed on others sites, the more likely your site will be indexed.
If you don't have a link exchange or directory on your site, I would advise
setting one up. Then exchange links with sites related to yours.
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Url Affiliates
A Mom's Affiliate Directory
http://www.urlaffiliates.com
Sunday, February 27, 2005
How to get your customer's email address legitimately
Need a few pointers on how to obtain your customers and site visitors email address legitimately? Below is a few tips on how to legitimately get an email address from your customer.
1) Put a subscription box on a prominent site of your home page. Another good idea for those of you that have templates and/or menus on your sites, put the subscription box on your menua and/or template. The more pages your subscription box is shown, the better chances of signups to your newsletter/mailing list.
2) Create a webpage just for your newsletter or mailing list. Some of you will just put a subscriptoin box to your (autoresponder/mailing list vendor). So the people just signup trusting you have something to offer them. What you want to do is create a seperate webpage just for this list. See my newsletter homepage here: http://www.mommyenterprises.com/newsletter
One MommyEnterprises.com I have the subscription box on my menu in the template and have a link to the newsletter's webpage as well.
3) Offer your visitor's and/or customer's something of value for joining. I have put together an ebook library and newsletters are given access to download valuable ebooks and reports. See the link above for an my tip put into action there. It WORKS.
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Mommy Portal
http://www.MommyPortal.com
1) Put a subscription box on a prominent site of your home page. Another good idea for those of you that have templates and/or menus on your sites, put the subscription box on your menua and/or template. The more pages your subscription box is shown, the better chances of signups to your newsletter/mailing list.
2) Create a webpage just for your newsletter or mailing list. Some of you will just put a subscriptoin box to your (autoresponder/mailing list vendor). So the people just signup trusting you have something to offer them. What you want to do is create a seperate webpage just for this list. See my newsletter homepage here: http://www.mommyenterprises.com/newsletter
One MommyEnterprises.com I have the subscription box on my menu in the template and have a link to the newsletter's webpage as well.
3) Offer your visitor's and/or customer's something of value for joining. I have put together an ebook library and newsletters are given access to download valuable ebooks and reports. See the link above for an my tip put into action there. It WORKS.
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Mommy Portal
http://www.MommyPortal.com
Thursday, February 17, 2005
I am over 5000 incoming links
I have done it. Mommy Enterprises is now showing on MarketLeap's Link Popularity tool 5,167 incoming links.
Read a blurb from one of my past blog posts:
"As of today 09/19/04 there are a total of 1,954 links to www.mommyenterprises.com. I hope to increase this by the hundreds within the next month. It takes a long time to build up good link popularity."
Wow, that is 3,213 more links. I am excited. I can definately say that my building of my website and trading links, etc is starting to payoff.
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Read a blurb from one of my past blog posts:
"As of today 09/19/04 there are a total of 1,954 links to www.mommyenterprises.com. I hope to increase this by the hundreds within the next month. It takes a long time to build up good link popularity."
Wow, that is 3,213 more links. I am excited. I can definately say that my building of my website and trading links, etc is starting to payoff.
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Friday, January 28, 2005
Google's Sandbox
I just got done reading a very interesting article about Google that I thought I would share. For those of you with new websites you will want to read this.
Google's Giant Sandbox
by Mark Daoust
If you pay any attention to the search engine optimization community, you have probably heard about Google's sandbox. Knowing exactly what the sandbox is might be a little confusing, but it is an important concept to know if you hope to eventually be successful with Google.
What is the Sandbox?
Before we get too far into an explanation as to what Google’s sandbox is, it must be noted that not everyone even agrees that the sandbox exists. The sandbox is actually nothing more than a theory developed to explain what many different SEO experts have witnessed with their listings. Whether or not the sandbox really exists is actually irrelevant when we know that the effects of the sandbox exist.
Google’s sandbox is a relatively new filter that appeared to be put in place back in March of 2004. This happened after the widely publicized updates of Austin and Florida, and the implementation of what is known as the Austin update. If you are not sure what those are, there is no need to worry as those updates are now for the most part in the past. The sandbox filter seems to affect nearly all new websites placing them on an initial “probation” status. The effect of this is that new websites may get into Google’s SERP’s (search engine results pages) relatively quickly and may even perform well for a couple of weeks. When the filter is applied to the new website it is referred to as being put in the “sandbox”. The new website will still show in the result pages, but it will not rank well regardless of how much original, well optimized content and regardless of how many quality inbound links the site may have. The filter restrains new websites from having immediate success in the search engine result pages.
The sandbox filter seems to affect almost all new websites, with very few exceptions. It is important to note that the filter is not a punishment for anything the webmaster did with their new website. The filter is merely an initiation period for new websites.
The sandbox filter also affects more competitive keyword driven sites more than sites that key in on less competitive keywords. If your website focuses on very competitive keywords, you are likely to remain in the sandbox for a longer period of time than if you focus on keywords that are relatively non-competitive keywords.
Does the Sandbox Exist?
There is a lot of debate as to whether the sandbox filter is a good thing for Google to implement or not. Obviously webmasters who are trying to get their sites well positioned in Google do not like the sandbox filter as it prevents them from receiving the huge levels of traffic that a top listing in Google can bring. The filter was not implemented at random, however, and there is some good reasoning for the filter existing.
As the SEO community figured out the basic elements of Google’s ranking algorithm, inbound links, original content rich with keywords, and the proper use of anchor text, search engine spammers began to take advantage of these elements. Search engine spammers would setup websites that were in clear violation of Google’s policies with the knowledge that eventually their website would be banned from the listings. This, however, did not matter. If a search engine spammer could get their website to rank well in Google for even one month, the profits they could make from that one month would justify the cost of building the site in the first place. All they needed to do in the future was to rebuild their spam websites with different domains and slightly different content.
The idea for spammers was a simple one. Capitalize off of Google’s traffic for as long as they can (before they get banned), then do it all over again with a new website. The method was extremely effective and easy to implement.
What made this all the more easy to accomplish was Google’s extremely fast indexing. While other search engines would take several months to index a new website, Google could index a website in as little as one month (they are now indexing sites within a few days). Search engine spammers were living large off of Google’s generosity.
To solve this problem, Google determined that it would compromise. They would still index websites quickly, attempting to get as much new, fresh content out to the general public as possible, but they would not trust new websites implicitly as they had in the past. All new websites that were launched would be put on probation. As time passed, and as the sites continued to pass any spam filters they ran, the website will not be held back from performing well in the rankings. Eventually, after quite a bit of time had passed, a site would be allowed to “leave” the sandbox and join the rest of the established websites.
How Does This Affect My Website?
If you have a new website, there is a good chance that you will be placed in the sandbox. This should be expected, but it should not change the way you build your website or market it. You should use the sandbox filter to your advantage.
Google still ranks websites in much the same way that they had in the past. Websites are judged on the quality of their inbound links and the quality of their content. Google will continue to change how they evaluate inbound links and content, but the basic elements of their rankings will remain the same.
While your website is in the sandbox, you should use this time to build your traffic using regular traffic building methods such as writing articles, building a strong community of visitors, and partnering with websites that offer some synergy to your visitors. During your time on probation, you have an excellent opportunity to build all the elements that cause websites to perform well in the search engines. When you finally do leave the sandbox, your website should be very well positioned within Google.
Is My Website in the Sandbox?
When webmasters learn about the sandbox filter, their first question is always whether or not their website has been placed in it. Determining whether or not you are in the sandbox is a relatively easy task to do.
First, being placed in the sandbox is different than having your website banned. If you do a search for your domain in Google and they return zero results for your website (and you had been previously listed in Google), there is a chance that you have been banned. One of the best ways to determine if you have been banned is to look at your log files to see if Google is visiting your website. Banned websites typically do not see Google visit their websites, regardless of who is linking to them.
If you have not been banned, but do not rank well with Google, you should look at the quality of your content and the quality of your inbound links. You should also see if you rank well for non-competitive keywords. Remember how the filter affects competitive keywords more than less competitive keywords? Well, you can use this to determine if you have been sandboxed. Finally, if you rank well in all the other major search engines, but do not show up at all in Google’s rankings, you have probably been sandboxed.
Is There A Way to Get Out of the Sandbox?
The quick answer to this is yes, there is a way out of the sandbox, but you will not like the answer. The answer is to simply wait. The sandbox filter is not a permanent filter and is only intended to reduce search engine spam. It is not intended to hold people back from succeeding. So eventually, if you continue to build your site as it should be built, you will leave the sandbox and join the other established websites.
Again, if your website has been placed in the sandbox you should use this time to your advantage. It is a great opportunity to build your traffic sources outside of the search engines. If you have a website that does well in the search engines, you may be tempted to ignore other proven methods of traffic building such as building a community, or building strong inbound links through partnerships. However, if you establish traffic sources outside of search engines, when you finally leave the sandbox, you will see a welcome increase in your traffic levels.
Conclusion
Google has been going to great lengths to cut out on search engine spam. Some have faulted them on the lengths that they are going to claiming that it is effecting legitimate sites as well as the spam websites. While this is probably the case, as an owner of a website you need to place yourself in the position of Google and ask yourself what they are really looking for in a website. Google is looking for websites that offer quality content. Google still relies on the natural voting system that was first used to establish pagerank. They may change the way that they qualify content or inbound links, but the basic elements of a quality website will always remain the same.
No website owner in their right mind will “like” Google’s sandbox. However, a smart website owner will use the sandbox as an opportunity to build a website that Google simply cannot refuse.
Mark Daoust is the owner of Site Reference.
Discuss this article and others in our Search Engine Forums
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Google's Giant Sandbox
by Mark Daoust
If you pay any attention to the search engine optimization community, you have probably heard about Google's sandbox. Knowing exactly what the sandbox is might be a little confusing, but it is an important concept to know if you hope to eventually be successful with Google.
What is the Sandbox?
Before we get too far into an explanation as to what Google’s sandbox is, it must be noted that not everyone even agrees that the sandbox exists. The sandbox is actually nothing more than a theory developed to explain what many different SEO experts have witnessed with their listings. Whether or not the sandbox really exists is actually irrelevant when we know that the effects of the sandbox exist.
Google’s sandbox is a relatively new filter that appeared to be put in place back in March of 2004. This happened after the widely publicized updates of Austin and Florida, and the implementation of what is known as the Austin update. If you are not sure what those are, there is no need to worry as those updates are now for the most part in the past. The sandbox filter seems to affect nearly all new websites placing them on an initial “probation” status. The effect of this is that new websites may get into Google’s SERP’s (search engine results pages) relatively quickly and may even perform well for a couple of weeks. When the filter is applied to the new website it is referred to as being put in the “sandbox”. The new website will still show in the result pages, but it will not rank well regardless of how much original, well optimized content and regardless of how many quality inbound links the site may have. The filter restrains new websites from having immediate success in the search engine result pages.
The sandbox filter seems to affect almost all new websites, with very few exceptions. It is important to note that the filter is not a punishment for anything the webmaster did with their new website. The filter is merely an initiation period for new websites.
The sandbox filter also affects more competitive keyword driven sites more than sites that key in on less competitive keywords. If your website focuses on very competitive keywords, you are likely to remain in the sandbox for a longer period of time than if you focus on keywords that are relatively non-competitive keywords.
Does the Sandbox Exist?
There is a lot of debate as to whether the sandbox filter is a good thing for Google to implement or not. Obviously webmasters who are trying to get their sites well positioned in Google do not like the sandbox filter as it prevents them from receiving the huge levels of traffic that a top listing in Google can bring. The filter was not implemented at random, however, and there is some good reasoning for the filter existing.
As the SEO community figured out the basic elements of Google’s ranking algorithm, inbound links, original content rich with keywords, and the proper use of anchor text, search engine spammers began to take advantage of these elements. Search engine spammers would setup websites that were in clear violation of Google’s policies with the knowledge that eventually their website would be banned from the listings. This, however, did not matter. If a search engine spammer could get their website to rank well in Google for even one month, the profits they could make from that one month would justify the cost of building the site in the first place. All they needed to do in the future was to rebuild their spam websites with different domains and slightly different content.
The idea for spammers was a simple one. Capitalize off of Google’s traffic for as long as they can (before they get banned), then do it all over again with a new website. The method was extremely effective and easy to implement.
What made this all the more easy to accomplish was Google’s extremely fast indexing. While other search engines would take several months to index a new website, Google could index a website in as little as one month (they are now indexing sites within a few days). Search engine spammers were living large off of Google’s generosity.
To solve this problem, Google determined that it would compromise. They would still index websites quickly, attempting to get as much new, fresh content out to the general public as possible, but they would not trust new websites implicitly as they had in the past. All new websites that were launched would be put on probation. As time passed, and as the sites continued to pass any spam filters they ran, the website will not be held back from performing well in the rankings. Eventually, after quite a bit of time had passed, a site would be allowed to “leave” the sandbox and join the rest of the established websites.
How Does This Affect My Website?
If you have a new website, there is a good chance that you will be placed in the sandbox. This should be expected, but it should not change the way you build your website or market it. You should use the sandbox filter to your advantage.
Google still ranks websites in much the same way that they had in the past. Websites are judged on the quality of their inbound links and the quality of their content. Google will continue to change how they evaluate inbound links and content, but the basic elements of their rankings will remain the same.
While your website is in the sandbox, you should use this time to build your traffic using regular traffic building methods such as writing articles, building a strong community of visitors, and partnering with websites that offer some synergy to your visitors. During your time on probation, you have an excellent opportunity to build all the elements that cause websites to perform well in the search engines. When you finally do leave the sandbox, your website should be very well positioned within Google.
Is My Website in the Sandbox?
When webmasters learn about the sandbox filter, their first question is always whether or not their website has been placed in it. Determining whether or not you are in the sandbox is a relatively easy task to do.
First, being placed in the sandbox is different than having your website banned. If you do a search for your domain in Google and they return zero results for your website (and you had been previously listed in Google), there is a chance that you have been banned. One of the best ways to determine if you have been banned is to look at your log files to see if Google is visiting your website. Banned websites typically do not see Google visit their websites, regardless of who is linking to them.
If you have not been banned, but do not rank well with Google, you should look at the quality of your content and the quality of your inbound links. You should also see if you rank well for non-competitive keywords. Remember how the filter affects competitive keywords more than less competitive keywords? Well, you can use this to determine if you have been sandboxed. Finally, if you rank well in all the other major search engines, but do not show up at all in Google’s rankings, you have probably been sandboxed.
Is There A Way to Get Out of the Sandbox?
The quick answer to this is yes, there is a way out of the sandbox, but you will not like the answer. The answer is to simply wait. The sandbox filter is not a permanent filter and is only intended to reduce search engine spam. It is not intended to hold people back from succeeding. So eventually, if you continue to build your site as it should be built, you will leave the sandbox and join the other established websites.
Again, if your website has been placed in the sandbox you should use this time to your advantage. It is a great opportunity to build your traffic sources outside of the search engines. If you have a website that does well in the search engines, you may be tempted to ignore other proven methods of traffic building such as building a community, or building strong inbound links through partnerships. However, if you establish traffic sources outside of search engines, when you finally leave the sandbox, you will see a welcome increase in your traffic levels.
Conclusion
Google has been going to great lengths to cut out on search engine spam. Some have faulted them on the lengths that they are going to claiming that it is effecting legitimate sites as well as the spam websites. While this is probably the case, as an owner of a website you need to place yourself in the position of Google and ask yourself what they are really looking for in a website. Google is looking for websites that offer quality content. Google still relies on the natural voting system that was first used to establish pagerank. They may change the way that they qualify content or inbound links, but the basic elements of a quality website will always remain the same.
No website owner in their right mind will “like” Google’s sandbox. However, a smart website owner will use the sandbox as an opportunity to build a website that Google simply cannot refuse.
Mark Daoust is the owner of Site Reference.
Discuss this article and others in our Search Engine Forums
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Sunday, January 16, 2005
What is your subscription box doing for you
Is your subscription box giving you subscribers? Have you just started a newsletter and don't know how to gain subscribers.
Here a couple key two tips to remember.
Put your subscription box right on the main page to your website if not
in the menu bar of your website if you have one. If they don't see it, they
won't or can't subscribe.
Offer your visitors something of value for subscribing. I did offer my
newsletter subscribers a free ebook. Now that I am offering a library
of ebooks for them FREE my subscriber rate is going up like crazy.
I thought I would share that success story.
Stefani Partin
http://www.mommyenterprises.com
Here a couple key two tips to remember.
Put your subscription box right on the main page to your website if not
in the menu bar of your website if you have one. If they don't see it, they
won't or can't subscribe.
Offer your visitors something of value for subscribing. I did offer my
newsletter subscribers a free ebook. Now that I am offering a library
of ebooks for them FREE my subscriber rate is going up like crazy.
I thought I would share that success story.
Stefani Partin
http://www.mommyenterprises.com
Friday, January 07, 2005
Ways to get inbound links to your site
Are you looking for additional ways to receive inbound links to your site and maybe get some without providing one in return?
Below are ways to get "inbound links" to your website. The more inbound links the easier the search engines have in finding its way to your site. While some links may cost you there are several free methods as well. I would suggest starting with the free methods first
1. Articles - Have something to write about? Create your own articles and submit them to websites to be published. The key is to include a little bio about you at the end and include your website link. The more the article is published, the more links you will have pointing to your website. There are tons of places online to submit your article to as well.
2. Link directory - Create a link directory on your site. With your link directory require a recipricol link back to your site. Be sure to link with sites that are related to yours. Linking to related websites will improve your search engine rankings.
3. Directory Listings - Purchase a listing in some popular directories for the market your website is in. If you are in the candle business find online candle directories and get listed. Do your research first before purchasing ads, you will want to get your money worth. Ask the webmaster how many visitors the site gets and do a comparison of ad rates with other sites.
4. Free Ebook - Write an ebook and offer it free to webmasters in exchange for a link on your site. There are free software programs you can download as well to create the ebook. You don't have to be a professional to write an ebook. Be sure the ebook will be helpful to the readers. Don't forget to add a link to your website in your ebook as well.
5. Blog - Create a blog and include a link to your site in your template. Then publish your blog frequently. Search engines tend to spider blogs quickly and the more you publish your blog, the more webpages it will create online to be spidered.
6. Resourceful website - Make sure your website has lots and lots of information. Include helpful content, articles, resources and tools your visitors will benefit from. If your website provides its visitors will helpful information you will most likely get links to your site without even asking for them.
I think that is going to sum it up for now. Remember to keep building and building those inbound links to your site. It will pay off in the end when you end up with thousands of links to your site. I have been very successful over the last year creating inbound links.
To check your link popularity please visit: http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Mommy Portal
The Web Portal for the WAHM
http://www.mommyportal.com
Below are ways to get "inbound links" to your website. The more inbound links the easier the search engines have in finding its way to your site. While some links may cost you there are several free methods as well. I would suggest starting with the free methods first
1. Articles - Have something to write about? Create your own articles and submit them to websites to be published. The key is to include a little bio about you at the end and include your website link. The more the article is published, the more links you will have pointing to your website. There are tons of places online to submit your article to as well.
2. Link directory - Create a link directory on your site. With your link directory require a recipricol link back to your site. Be sure to link with sites that are related to yours. Linking to related websites will improve your search engine rankings.
3. Directory Listings - Purchase a listing in some popular directories for the market your website is in. If you are in the candle business find online candle directories and get listed. Do your research first before purchasing ads, you will want to get your money worth. Ask the webmaster how many visitors the site gets and do a comparison of ad rates with other sites.
4. Free Ebook - Write an ebook and offer it free to webmasters in exchange for a link on your site. There are free software programs you can download as well to create the ebook. You don't have to be a professional to write an ebook. Be sure the ebook will be helpful to the readers. Don't forget to add a link to your website in your ebook as well.
5. Blog - Create a blog and include a link to your site in your template. Then publish your blog frequently. Search engines tend to spider blogs quickly and the more you publish your blog, the more webpages it will create online to be spidered.
6. Resourceful website - Make sure your website has lots and lots of information. Include helpful content, articles, resources and tools your visitors will benefit from. If your website provides its visitors will helpful information you will most likely get links to your site without even asking for them.
I think that is going to sum it up for now. Remember to keep building and building those inbound links to your site. It will pay off in the end when you end up with thousands of links to your site. I have been very successful over the last year creating inbound links.
To check your link popularity please visit: http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/
Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
Mommy Portal
The Web Portal for the WAHM
http://www.mommyportal.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
FeedBurner