4 Steps That Will Ruin Your Blog At Once

No matter what the reason of your blogging is (you can do that for business promotion, making money, or your own pleasure), your blog or website needs the audience. It's obvious, isn't it? Blogs can't live without visitors and readers, and your task is to make your blog really attractive to them.

Do you have a plan of how to attract people to your blog? A plan is the main thing here actually, because it's not enough for a successful blogging to post new content from time to time. Just take a look at your blog as if it wasn't yours. Do you like it? Do you like its content and design? Is it user-friendly? Is it comfortable for a visitor to find all necessary information there? Just try to be honest, and make your blog readable and really attractive. The point is to make visitors come back again, that is why your blog should have something really catchy.

So, let's imagine that you've made everything possible to create a really good, attractive, readable, and informative blog. Visitors come, read your posts, leave comments, share your links in their social media - the most important moment here is not to spoil everything! There are 4 simple but really harmful steps you can make to ruin your blog at once. We are here to tell you about them and help you avoid them.


How often do you update your blog?

We bet your competitors update their blogs and websites once a week at least. That is why if the last post of your own blog is dated July 2010 for example, you may forget about visitors and traffic. No one is interested in blogs that tell them about iPhone 3 or the most popular movies of 2009.

Update your blog regularly with really fun and engaging content. It will attract new readers, bring your blog much traffic. But don't forget about your niche: there is no need to post funny videos of cats, even if they are very popular on the Web today, if your own blog is about innovative technologies and new gadgets. The audience will hardly like that, you know.


How many keywords do you use per post?

Every blogger (even if he or she is a newbie) knows that keywords are good for his or her blog's SEO. Believe us, your readers are not stupid, and they will perfectly understand whether you wrote your post for them or Google; that is why there is no need to use many keywords in every sentence of your article. It doesn't look natural, it doesn't sound natural, and it will definitely not give your reader a desire to come back to your blog again.

Remember, that you write for people, not for Google. Make your readers feel that they are more important to you than Google search results.


How persistently do you promote your business?

Even if you blog for business, it doesn't matter that all your content should be about good or services you provide. Remember the main rule of blogging: your blog is NOT for promotion (even if it actually is)!

Try to share interesting and useful information with your readers. Believe us, they don't want to hear about your business all the time, and if you continue add nothing but different ads only, you will lose all readers very soon. You can tell about your business of course, but this information should come naturally, and it shouldn't bother your readers at all.


How often do you respond comments?

People read your blog, and they want to share their own opinion as for the problem you described in your post. Would it be pleasant to you, if you leave a comment and the author doesn't give you any replies?

Try not to ignore the comments of your readers, especially if they disagree with you. Remember, that good debates can be a really good way to attract people's attention and make your blog even more popular as a result. If all comments of your readers are left without replies, they will hardly back again, as they see that no one pays attention to them here.


About The Author: The article is provided by Alex Strike, a professional copywriter and blogger of http://writing-help.com, who always shares his opinion on such topics as Internet marketing, education, techs, and social media.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Alex and myself know by leaving us your valued comments in the comments section below.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Related articles:
How To Use Guest Blogging To Build Your Online Reputation
Your Blogging Reputation Is At Stake
6 Ideas For Creative Blog Posts


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Until my next (and slightly different) post on Friday on how to match a speaker's style to the audience, enjoy the rest of the week!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Where's Waldo (Enhanced Campaigns) In Google AdWords Updates

Navigating through Google AdWords to create optimized, ROI producing campaigns can be an extensive process. Especially with all the new features, best practices, and changes that the Google brand grows to encompass.

With Google's full transition into "enhanced" campaigns, there are a lot of new features with some interesting benefits to advertisers. The most interesting improved features of this update are within the site link extensions. From general campaign extensions to specific ad group level extensions, there is a lot more data, and room for optimization. For a broader view on the "enhanced" changes check out this article.


Where's Waldo?

In a picture of grayed out tabs with the same type font, size, and coloring, you can find "Waldo" in the Ad Extensions tab in Google AdWords. As a digital media manager, I worry about losing data but thankfully, Google seems to have recognized that and provided an "upgraded" view or "not upgraded" to see the data history of your extensions. The data history view lets me know I can find Waldo on any time frame. This is especially important as your campaigns grow and become more extensive. For basic, limited budget campaigns, simply creating campaign level extensions may be sufficient, however for those decently budget accounts, utilizing the specific ad group level extensions will help you create the most targeted, relevant, and potentially money-making ads; or in other words, a massive version of Where's Waldo.


Red/White Striped Shirt (check), Glasses (check), Jeans (check)...

1. Create more granular extensions at the ad group level, for targeted, direct, and correlated links. Pair complementary shopping items, geographically correlated items, or any other method of grouping to help improve ROI.
   
   
2. Set a schedule for your extensions, use the most profit driven times of the day or days of the week. Segment by day of the week, time of day, monthly, etc. to maximize the most profitable times.
   
   
3. Create mobile specific site-link extensions; speak to mobile users through location text or other mobile targeting terms. Setting different extensions for different devices will maximize your efforts with optimal text.
   
   
4. Each extension is now singular rather than as a group, much easier for reviewing for eligibility and changes across all ad groups that include that site link.
   
   
5. Hold on to you data history for comparisons and optimization. Review data based on all devices, and targeting methods over time to infer which methods will bring the most profitable business.
   
   
6. Optimize on an individual basis for performance, ROI, CTR, etc.

Enhanced site-link extensions allow advertisers to move away from 1 set of site-link extensions per campaign to a much more targeted, in depth strategy. Having the ability to customize at an ad group level and display extensions that have specific, relevant information on each service, function, product, etc. allows for cross selling and potential profit. With any AdWords extension, research, testing, and optimization are the keys to succeeding. It is never a one stop shop but a continual service in need of constant monitoring to achieve the best possible outcome for your paid search tactics.

Now that this upgrade has officially been upgraded, it's very important to customize your account and make sure your ads are the best in your industry. Research your competition and the industry you work in to maximize your efforts. For more optimization information check out this article on generating ROI from your PPC text ads.

Google has also announced several more upgrades that will be coming soon, including Google Maps Ads and updates to the Analytics user-face. So keep an eye out for my next article about how to use these upgrades to your advantage.


Did you find this article helpful? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments in the comments section below.

Related articles:
Common Google AdWords Mistakes And How To Avoid Them


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Until my next post on Wednesday on four blogging mistakes you should avoid, have a great and productive week ahead!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Common Google AdWords Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

Google AdWords is a great way to target the right audience and drive them to the right sources to generate the most income. Unfortunately, many companies (both large and small) try to use the service with little to no knowledge of how it actually works. Fortunately, here are 5 of the most common mistakes marketers make when using Google AdWords and how to avoid them:


1. Directing the advertisements to your homepage

A major mistake that many companies make is that they direct advertisements back to their homepage. This can be costly since customers will typically leave the site if they do not instantly see what they are looking for. Whenever possible, you need to ensure that the advertisements go to a specific page that is relevant to the customer.

For example, if a customer is looking for "kitchen faucets," you need to ensure that the advertisements direct the customer to a specific page on your website about kitchen faucets. If you direct them to your homepage, it is very likely that the customer will only go straight back to Google to do another search. Unfortunately, such an action means that you will likely lose the customer to your competition.


2. Accepting all of the suggested words

If you accept all of the suggested words supplied by the Google AdWords Keyword Generator, you will run into a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, the list that you receive will have a lot of unrelated and generic terms that will not benefit your business. By accepting all of the keywords, you will not target the right audience that will ensure engagement and sales.

For example, if you are a chef, very generic words such as "cooking" or "chef" may not greatly benefit you. Instead, you should focus on narrower keywords with true buying potential.


3. Not using negative keywords

A good thing about using a Google AdWords campaign is that you are able to choose negative keywords to filter out unwanted clicks. Unfortunately, many people do not use the feature and learn a very expensive lesson the hard way.

For example, if you sell computer equipment or software, you may want to use negative keywords such as "panels" or "treatments" to avoid being confused with the home improvement industry.


4. Not localizing the campaign

If you have a local business, it is crucial that you localize your campaign by setting up specific ads for searchers in a specific area. By providing your zip or area code, you will be able to target people living in your area that will be more likely to visit your business. Unfortunately, a lot of money can be wasted if you do not specify this and instead try to entice people from halfway across the world.


5. Failing to test the advertisements

When you have a campaign in place, it is an absolute must that you test your advertisements to see what works best. You will need to track every aspect of your campaign to determine what is working and what is not. Once you have the information handy, you will be able to tailor your advertisements to generate the most success.

When breaking down your advertisements, just some of the factors you need to consider include:

• Font sizes, styles, and colors
• Wording
• Images
• Overall advertisement composition
• Call to actions
• Offers
• Placement locations
• Prices

As you can see, there are many things to take into consideration when you undergo a Google AdWords campaign. By knowing the common mistakes to avoid, you will better situate yourself to achieve success.


About The Author: Lorraine Gray has spent a lot of time using Adwords in her clients advertising campaigns. She likes to blog about her experiences on various marketing websites.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments in the comments section below.


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post on Monday on Google AdWords Enhanced Site Link Extensions, enjoy the rest of the week and have a fabulous weekend! See you back here on Monday.

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Does Content Decide Your Ranking In Recent Google Penguin Update?

When Google debuted the new program they were going to use to help determine search engine ranking, Penguin, everyone discovered that they were going to need to relearn everything they previously thought they knew about search engine optimization. Many old websites who had always enjoyed top ranking were heavily penalized by the program and have only just begun to recover. The importance of content and SEO Article Writing is a topic that keeps coming up over and over again.


Everybody's Talking about Content

When listening to some people talk about Goggle Penguin it's easy to think that the entire concept of using content in marketing must be brand new. That's not the case at all. Content has always played an important role in SEO. What the program changed was the way content could be produced. It's no longer acceptable for content to be stuffed full of keywords, for it to have been produced by article spinning software, or to be irrelevant. In order to provide the website with a boost in ranking, the web copy must be original, readable, and the keywords should be kept to about 1%. Today, instead of advising clients to stuff as many keywords as they can into the web copy, Content writing services advice creating content to be written with human readers, not web crawlers. Web copy that can be easily read and judged relevant will be given a good score and the websites ranking will improve.


High Volume of Content

The amount of copy websites have generated as a result of the changes Goggle has made over the past few years has come as a surprise. Google doesn't penalize websites for not changing their web copy, or creating new copy, at least not directly, but the new ranking programs do rewards websites that have fresh content.


Never, Ever, Stop Updating Content

It's not enough to have a website that's full of great content. Google wants webmasters to constantly update and revive the content, providing something new for visitors. The good news is that the entire website doesn't have to be redone all at the same time; revising and adding new pages every few months will appease Google Panda. Webmasters should divide their website into sections and create a schedule for updating each section.


Is Content the Only Type of SEO that Matters

Some people think that as long as they have great content they can rest assured that they will have a great ranking. While good solid content will certainly help boost the ranking, it's not enough. If content is the only thing your website has to offer, you will be penalized by Penguin. In addition to the web copy, your website also needs:

• Internal links
  
  
• Links that lead from another website to your own
  
  
• Solid anchor text
  
  
• A website that's easy to navigate
  
  
• Several great landing pages

Article Marketing Remains Important

Creating web copy won't be the only type of content you need to worry about. Even though article directories took a hard hit from the Google Penguin, they remain a valuable marketing tool. The average people, including members of your target market, continue to turn to these sites when seeking information. By posting articles you'll accomplish two things:

• Provide information and establish yourself as an expert in your field
  
  
• Create a link that leads to your website, improving your search engine ranking

Guest posting on blogs has also become a great form of marketing.

Most of these items were important to SEO programs prior to Penguin's unveiling. The biggest difference is that now the search engine giant has gotten more efficient about recognizing black, and even gray, hat SEO techniques and won't hesitate to punish any site caught using them.


About The Author: When Google released Penguin on the market, Mark Long proved he and his Content writing services company were very capable of overcoming the effect of it. In no time at all, he was able to produce web copy that appealed to the program. Today he remains one of the more pursued professional in the field of SEO Article Writing and marketing.

Did you like this article? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments in the comments section below.


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post on Wednesday on common Google AdWords mistakes and how to avoid them, have a great week ahead!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Online Marketing Strategies Small Businesses Can Use

Businesses these days are more fortunate than they were 10-15 years ago, as they have use of the internet to help them. It can be useful for researching aspects of your business, looking at competitors and for advertising the services and products you offer. This can be done in a variety of ways, and the sooner that you learn how to use them, the faster your business will grow!

• Social Media Campaigns - The social media network is a fantastic tool to use, if you know how to do it wisely and safely. It is free to set up Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages, and you can hit your target audience that will buy your products or services. You can upload images and video links to show off your products, or give links to your website, so it will prove an asset to your business. You can also use your social media site to promote interest in your e-book that you currently have on sale. You could give them a taster page to encourage them to look for more!
  
  
• Create an e-book - With so much interest in e-books these days, it would be worth your while to write or dictate a blog, article or several pages on your business products or services to promote interest. You do not have to be an accomplished writer to do this, as there are several sites, such as E-lance or Odesk, that can ghost write your piece for you. You will not make any profit from your e-book, as you want it to be used as an advertising and information link to your website for further information for interested parties. Websites such as Amazon, will allow you to upload it free, taking a percentage of the sales for this service. Set a low price to encourage readers to buy your book, and make the first two or three pages grab their interest, in case they choose to look inside before buying.
  
  
• Pay-Per-Click - It is also sometimes known as Cost Per Click advertising, and will be worth investing in, as the search engine will lead researchers to the paid website links first. It means that your business will appear on the first pages of searches, so people are more likely to select your business and look at your website. If you are not computer literate, then you could use a freelance web consultant/designer to help you to set up your website initially, then your social media and pay-per-click pages afterwards. It may cost initially, but with their expertise, your business will get noticed, and soon start to grow!
  
  
• Special Offers - Supermarkets often use special offers to encourage people to buy more, and you can do the same with your business. Buy One Get One Free, (BOGOF), on products that do not always sell well. Buy 3 for the price of 2, again will help to get rid of slow selling stock. If you offer a service, rather than products, give 10% off their first booking, or if they recommend a friend who needs your business too, you could give them gift vouchers. There are numerous ways to offer something to attract customers, but once you have their custom, make sure they come back for more!
  
  
• Video and Email Use - You can add videos on YouTube, to show prospective customers your products or services. If they see you in action, it instils confidence in people, and they are more likely to use you. If you have email addresses for clients, then send out mail shots to them all to let them know you are available to them. You can find email addresses for other businesses from company websites or business directories, to advertise your services or products to.

Make sure that you have a reliable internet provider and the correct package for your business. If you use an IT consultant, they will advise you on different options available to you. Many people shop online, and search the internet for whatever they need, so to help your small business be a success, you need strategies in place, to market it online. Plan what you want to do, set your targets, then put your strategies in to action, and be prepared for the extra interest you will get for your business!


About The Author: Ericka Bergeson is a writer and small business coach. She advises potential business owners on what type of business would suit them best and how to startup.

Did you find this article helpful? Do you have any online marketing tips to share? Please let Ericka and myself know by leaving us your valued comments in the comments section below.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post on Monday discussing if content decides your ranking in recent Google Penguin update, have a relaxing and fun-filled weekend! See you back here on Monday!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

SEO On A Budget

For big organizations, improving search engine optimization (SEO) is often a matter of paying several thousand dollars to one of the top professional SEO agencies, and then sitting back to watch the results come in. But if you're a small business with a marketing budget to match, chances are you don't have those kinds of resources. Does that mean you have to forget about SEO, and just hope your website gets traffic some other way?

Not at all. There are plenty of ways to put together an effective SEO plan on a shoestring budget, and ramp up your website's visibility in search engine rankings. Here are some steps you can take now to improve SEO for your small business website.


Perform an on-site analysis

In order to improve your SEO, you need to know what kind of shape your website is already in with regard to optimization. The first step for a large SEO firm is usually to conduct an SEO audit that delivers essential details on a website's strengths and weaknesses.

You can perform this step on your own by downloading a free SEO analysis tool. There are several out there to choose from. Traffic Travis is one of the most fully-featured free SEO programs available, and offers detailed insights into deficiencies on your website's pages.


Read up on SEO best practices

SEO is not an event - it's a process. If there was a simple formula for shooting websites straight to the top of search engine results...well, we'd probably break the Internet. If you're not familiar with the basics of SEO, now is the time to do a little homework and start applying some of the strategies.

Here are a few to get you started:

• Make sure your title tags and heading tags are optimized with your target keywords. If you're not sure which keywords you should target, the Google AdWords Keyword Tool will generate suggestions (and it's free!).
  
  
• It's easier to rank your website for local keywords than general ones. For example, if you own a bakery in Pittsburgh, make sure phrases like "Pittsburgh bakery" and "best bakery Pittsburgh" appear naturally in your web copy.
  
  
• If you have a blog, keep it populated with fresh, timely, and relevant content, with your target keywords woven naturally throughout the posts. If you don't have a blog yet, now's the time to get one. You can integrate a basic WordPress blog for very little cost.

For more basic SEO strategies, check these resources: SEO for Startups: 5 Rules to Apply Now and On-Page SEO Factors: Which Ones Have the Most Impact on Ranking.


Consider guest posting

Identify some reputable sites within your industry that have high Google page rankings, and then offer to contribute free guest posts to their blogs. This is an easy, cost-effective way to boost your own site's page ranking and establish credibility for your company.


Know when to call the pros

For professional SEO help, you don't have to hire a full-service agency to overhaul your website. Content is the most important factor in SEO, and it's often more cost-effective for small businesses to hire a freelance writer to create new website content, write SEO blog posts, and other optimization tasks.

If your budget allows, you may want to enlist the services of an SEO firm. This is particularly beneficial if you're overhauling your current site or building a new one from scratch. If you do go this route, it's best to partner with a firm as early as possible, so you don't find yourself having to fix costly mistakes later. Look for a consultant that offers ad-hoc or customized services, so you don't wind up paying for more than what you need.


About The Author: Melissa Rudy is a freelance writer with Words by Melissa in Cincinnati, Ohio. Melissa and her team specialize in web copy, blog articles, case studies, press releases, and other freelance writing.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Melissa and myself know by leaving us your valued comments.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Related articles:
How To Use Guest Blogging To Build Your Online Reputation
Strategies For Finding Guest Posting Opportunities
What Steps Should You Take To Make Sure Your Site Is SEO Friendly?
How To Hire A Good SEO Company
Use SEO Copywriting Services To Drive Traffic Your Way
SEO Tips After Google Panda Update
How Often Should You Do SEO Rank Checker On Your Site
You Don't Have To Be An SEO Whizz To Improve Your Search Engine Rankings!
10 Easy Steps To Boost Your SEO
Top SEO Do's And Don'ts
How To Improve Your SEO With Backlinks
The Seven Deadly SEO Sins
The 10 Week SEO Diet


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post on Friday with a list of online marketing strategies small businesses can use, enjoy the rest of the week!

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Six Tips For Improving Your Customer's Experience

Are you giving your customers an experience they'll never forget? Just because you own a business doesn't mean you don't know what it feels like to be a customer. Take a step back and imagine just how much your experience doing business with a company has an impact on whether or not you'll become a loyal customer. If the company goes above and beyond to make you happy, you're likely to refer your friends. On the other hand, if the company makes you feel like a number rather than a person, you wouldn't think twice about buying again.

If you're looking for ways to improve your customer's experience, here are six tips to keep in mind.


#1: Set the Guiding Principles

Do you have a set of guiding principles your employees can follow to set the expectations for every customer contact? If you don't, now is the time to create one. If you set a core set of principles, you can define what is required of your staff when they're in contact with clients and prospects. Having a set of guiding principles will help your employees have a guideline for what is expected of them and how to meet expectations. The guiding principles can help with quality control.


#2: Take Time to Connect

Do your staff members feel an emotional connection with your staff when they call or come in the office? You'd be surprised at just how important having an emotional connection is. A customer who feels a connection with a representative within your company is much more likely to stay loyal. Be sure your representatives are making the effort to make the lives of your clients better to improve the customer experience. One of the simplest things you can have your employees do is smile whenever they see a customer. Having a smiling environment will help your customers feel more comfortable. They will also be more likely to return to your store.


#3: Be Sure to Understand Your Customers

Understanding your customers needs and wants is all about being empathetic. You'll need to train your staff how to identify different personality styles, and which methods of empathizing with each personality type of most empathetic. You'd be surprised at how different your approach should be with an extrovert as compared to with an introvert.


#4: Get Feedback from Your Customers

There is no better way to improve your customer experience than to hear what your customers have to say. Customer experience management systems are an effective way to capture real-time insight that you can use to change principles. With customer feedback software systems, you can identify and deliver what the customers really want. Make sure you consider your customer's input and try to implement the suggestions you can.


#5: Listen to Your Staff

Do you give your employees surveys? If you don't, now is the time to do so. While customers know what they want, employees are the only ones who truly know what is holding them back from delivering exceptional service. Find out where the challenges lie so that you can resolve common issues.


#6: Quality Assurance and Coaching

You need to monitor your employees to ensure they are complying with the principles and procedures you have taken time to create. While quality assurance monitoring is important, you have to be willing to use the feedback to coach each team member. Without coaching, things will not improve.

Customers are paying for more than just a product or service; they are paying for an experience. Identify what must change, be proactive and take action to exceed the expectations of your clients.


Did you find this article helpful? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments in the comments section below.

Related articles:
How Social Media Is Replacing Traditional Customer Service
Are You Speaking The Right Language With Your Customers


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
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Until my next post on Wednesday on SEO on a budget, have a great and productive week ahead!

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Mobile-Friendly Site Designing: Things You Shouldn't Be Doing

As smartphone and other mobile users are frequently accessing the internet, it has become mandatory for businesses and bloggers to design a mobile-friendly website to cater to mobile users effectively.

When it comes to mobile web designing, the site design should be able to incorporate elements of comfort and ease in exploring the site for mobile users. However, web designers tend to make some common mistakes mostly due to their ignorance or lack of skills and experience in mobile web designing. Their mistakes make the site design fragile and leads to poor mobile user experience. So, while designing a mobile website, you should be aware of such mistakes and avoid doing them for your site.


Ignoring the device's screen size

The mobile device's screen width is much smaller than the desktop's. So it is important not to ignore the screen size and the width of smartphone and other mobile devices when drafting the layout of your mobile website. Your website's width should support the small screen of mobile device.


Improper spacing of clickable links or icons

When using a desktop, we use mouse clicks for every function. We're able to easily click on a 16 x 16 icon and the process is too simple.

A mobile user, on the other hand, uses fingers as the tool for navigation and control. Webmasters do not consider these things while designing a mobile-friendly site. They tend to ignore the user's fingers while creating the mobile site layouts thus their designs are not compatible with touch screens. When trying to accommodate everything within a mobile screen, they tend to reduce the size of functional buttons. Since the minimum acceptable size for clickable targets or objects on touch screens is 30 to 40 pixels, the links or icons shouldn't be placed very close to each other. According to the Windows Phone UI, these elements need to maintain a distance of 8 pixels in your mobile site designs, which designers often ignore. Also, not everyone has the fingers of same size, so what works well for small fingers may not perform well for someone with large ones. So, by proper spacing of clickable targets, you will avoid frustrating users.


Adding too much of text

People visit your site because it is more interesting and informative to them. They also want to access the information as quickly as possible. Trying to transfer everything that is on your website into a mobile layout makes your web design look crazy for mobile users. You can do some modifications such as reducing the number of items in the menu, deleting any content that is unimportant, and simplifying the text size to a readable level. It is recommended to arrange the layout by using bullets or creating small paragraphs. Also, don't forget to place a link at the bottom of the page that allows the readers to browse the web-version of your site.


Visual overload

The mobile users don't have that much patience or time to wait for the slow loading websites when compared to the users surfing the web from their desktop screens. Hence, while designing mobile friendly sites adding too many animations, heavy images or visual elements, which consumes time to load, should be totally avoided. However, you can add only optimized images. But don't ever try to upload small images as they create the same dilemma as that of the heavy graphics. By doing this, you can improve the readability of your site.


Having long user-input forms

For mobile users, their device keyboard is not as user-friendly as the desktop ones. Many web designers while adding the forms over the mobile sites forget to consider this fact and perform the things in the same old format by adding large amount of data in these forms. You need to prompt the user to input data only into necessary fields. Sometimes, users may not have much time to type into all required fields. To simplify their task, you can add combo boxes, radio buttons, lists or check boxes.

So, if you are able to avoid these mistakes while designing any mobile friendly website, your user's mobile experience will be much better and focused.


About The Author: Gianna is a writer/blogger. She loves writing about technology, gadgets and social media.

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Related articles:
Five Keys To A Successful Web Design And How You Can Achieve It For Free


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© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

How To Use Guest Blogging To Build Your Online Reputation

You've spent months working on your blog, regularly posting great content and seeing a steady stream of traffic. But things have tapered off. You aren't seeing the numbers increase in any noticeable way and you aren't gaining any new followers.

While working on your search engine optimization and doing more to market your blog and your posts via social media and other blogs can give your site a boost, one of the most effective means of driving new traffic - and building your online reputation in the process - is to do something you're already doing: blogging.

But instead of creating content for your site, consider guest blogging as a means to attract new fans and followers. Guest blogging, in the simplest terms, is writing a post (or a series of posts) for another blog. When you do so, you get to share ideas or thoughts with a new audience that may not have otherwise found your work. Since most guest blogs include a link to your blog, as well as relevant social media profiles, readers can connect with you and your work, building up your site's numbers. However, guest blogging requires more than simply banging out a blog post and offering it to other bloggers.


Finding Opportunities

As a blogger, you already know it's a time-consuming process. Creating, posting and marketing content takes time, which is why many bloggers are eager for qualified guest bloggers who can bear some of the burden.

Start by contacting the owners of blogs that you read regularly and think you could contribute something meaningful to. Sometimes, blogs actively seek guest bloggers. In other cases, you'll need to reach out and ask about opportunities. Try searching "guest blogger opportunities" or "guest blogger jobs" and you'll find several sites that serve as clearinghouses for bloggers looking for guests.

If you're interested in blogging for a major site, such as Huffington Post, Babble or Mashable, follow the editorial guidelines for querying and submitting blogs.


Give Them What They Want

Before you reach out to a blogger, have an idea of what you would like to write about. In general, guest posts that offer how-to instructions, whether for a specific project or for doing something better are the most popular. Let the blog owner know what you can offer in terms of photos and illustrations, and supply a link to your blog so they can get a feel for your style. Above all, before you query, read your target blog - ideally, several months' worth of posts - to get a feel for the blog's style and tone, and to ensure you're offering something new and different.

Of course, when you do create your post, use the same care and attention to detail you would for a post on your site. In general, keep your post between 400 - 700 words, offer high-quality photographs and check your grammar and spelling before you send it.


Maximizing Your Post

While guest posting is an ideal way to share your content, the real purpose (for both you and your host) is to build traffic and a name for yourself online. To start, always include a bio with your guest post. Write the bio in the third person, and reference your blog - which should be linked to your blog, ideally to a post relevant to the guest post. Include a link to your Twitter profile or Facebook page as well to give readers the opportunity to connect with you.

You should also promote your guest post among your own networks. Mention on your blog and social media feeds you're guest blogging, and provide a link to the post. This helps drive traffic for your host, and gives your followers some "bonus" content.

Guest blogging can drive traffic to your site as well as give you additional exposure and name recognition. When you regularly contribute to reputable sites with a large and loyal fan base, you not only build your fan base, you also build trust and credibility in your niche - and make it easier for other blog owners to contact you with opportunities.


About The Author: Mari Jane Kahn is a business blogger. She keeps track of her online activities using MyLife and considers MyLife.com customer service some of the best in the business.

Did you find this article helpful? Do you use guest blogging to help drive more traffic to your blog? Please let Mari and myself know by leaving us your valued comments.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Related articles:
Strategies For Finding Guest Posting Opportunities
How You Can Get Started With Accepting Guest Posts On Your Website
A Guide To Guest Blogging For SEO In 2012


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© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Ten Tips For Small Businesses Using LinkedIn

LinkedIn is an often under-utilised social media resource, aimed at businesses and professionals. Yet, it has the capacity to offer a lot of useful features to help an organisation prosper. Here are ten tips that every small business should know about using LinkedIn.


It's more than just a resume site

LinkedIn is more than just a social media site where you can post your resume or company profile. This is just the very basic. Spend time getting to know what LinkedIn can do for you and your business and focus on what you want to achieve from it. Create a complete and informative profile of your business and what you have to offer, with a good quality cover photo.


Keep content updated

Many people begin their LinkedIn relationship with enthusiasm, but then neglect it over time, so that their content becomes outdated and incorrect. If you are a small business using LinkedIn as a networking tool, then make sure you keep your content up to date.


See what your contacts are up to

Small businesses often strive to increase connections with clients and prospects, so it's worthwhile taking your time to keep a check on what your contacts on LinkedIn are up to. Keep in touch with them on a regular basis - you never know when a fruitful opportunity might arise from this.


Use it for SEO

LinkedIn is an invaluable tool to use for search engine optimization prospects, so make the most of it by adapting your content with relevant keywords that will boost your profile up the search rankings.


Use it for advertising

With a global audience of thousands at your fingertips, you might well consider using LinkedIn as a way to advertise your products or services. LinkedIn Ads can prove more cost-effective than other forms of advertising.


Co-ordinate your content

As a small business, you won't have limitless time to devote to social media sites, so why not co-ordinate all your social media content, so that what you post on one site, will automatically appear on the other? You can use web tools to enable you to connect your social media accounts with each other, without needing to post the same content yourself. However, make sure whatever you post on the less formal social media sites isn't going to be detrimental to your image if it appears on LinkedIn.


Request reviews

Testimonials can boost the profile of a business, especially a small one just starting out in establishing a reputation. Politely request customer reviews so that you can add them to your profile on LinkedIn.


Get involved in groups

Take part in group discussions that are relevant to your line of business and make the most of the networking and business opportunities that they might bring. Don't blatantly advertise your products and focus on just a few specific groups rather than join every group going. Groups are also valuable for researching different markets and opinions.


Use LinkedIn Answers

Make the most of this feature, which allows you to answer relevant questions asked by other members. This helps to increase your profile and expertise, as well as being a great networking opportunity.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, LinkedIn Answers is no longer supported. However, there are still many other ways to pose questions and facilitate professional discussions via the LinkedIn Help Center, Community Help Forum and by using the "posting module" on your homepage.


Search for professionals

As a small business, you may not have the manpower, resources or skills to complete all tasks associated with your operations. But you can use LinkedIn to search for specific business services that you may need. Often, these services may be people you are already connected with or contacts of your connections.


About The Author: This article was provided by Amy Elliott on behalf of Automatic Access, supplier of door technology systems to UK companies.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Amy and myself know by leaving us your valued comments.

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Related articles:
LinkedIn Groups For Marketing: How To Create The Buzz And Get Noticed


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Until my next post on Wednesday on how to use guest blogging to build your online reputation, have a great week ahead!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Spear-Phishing On Twitter: How Not To Become The Catch Of The Day

Regular phishers send out random phishing e-mails in an attempt to hook as many people as possible into giving away sensitive information. Spear-phishing is a more targeted and insidious pursuit. It targets specific people and entices them to reveal information to cyber criminals. Cyber security professionals are constantly updating their tactics to compete with and stay ahead of these cyber criminals.

Cyber-criminal-turned-security-consultant Kevin Mitnick says that cyber criminals can easily find targets for spear-phishing through social networks. "I can go into LinkedIn and search for network engineers and come up with a list of great spear-phishing targets," Mitnick explains. "Then I go onto Twitter or Facebook and trick them into doing something, and I have privileged access."

Twitter, in particular, has become a frequent spear-phishing target. Knowing how these attacks work and how to avoid them can prevent the loss of important data.


Spear Phishing Through Direct Messages

When people receive direct messages on Twitter that look like they're from legitimate connections, they may be tempted to click on malicious links. A recent example of a direct message spear-phishing attempt involved a Twitter direct message that said something like, "Funny picture of you, check it out, LOL" followed by a shortened URL. When the user clicked the link, a fake Twitter login screen appeared. The user entered credentials and gave the criminals control of the account.

Take the following precautions to avoid getting caught by direct message spear phishing:

• Never open a link that you receive in a Twitter direct message. You can always confirm whether or not the person actually sent the message by calling or e-mailing to verify its authenticity.
  
  
• Check the URL. In this case, before logging in, check to see that the domain name is "twitter.com." Some criminals may use a URL like "iwltter.com" that looks legitimate when the user only glances at it.
  
  
• Think about the context. Never click a direct message that seems suspicious in any way.

Suspicious Apps Asking You to "Login With Twitter"

In April, an app called "socialme.me" circulated around Twitter. The app claimed to use information like a Twitter user's age and number of followers to calculate how much time the user had spent on Twitter. Users simply clicked a button on the app's home page that said, "Login With Twitter." This app was another way of obtaining Twitter login credentials.

Socialme.me has changed names a few times since people started to complain that the app had a broken dashboard, bombarded them with ads and sent tweets from their accounts without permission. For instance, it has used the names "socialtracker.me" and "Twalue." To stay out of danger from apps like this, take these steps:

• Avoid "Login With (Social Network)" buttons. If you want to post to social media through an app, then do it manually instead of allowing the app to have automatic access to your account.
  
  
• Use different passwords for everything, and change them regularly. For example, don't use your Twitter password as your bank account password.

Twitter Account Hijacking

Some Twitter links can inject a "man-in-the-middle" attack into your Web browser. For example, a recent Twitter spear-phishing attack from the Netherlands involved targets receiving a tweet from a trusted connection that said, "Beyoncé falls during the Super Bowl concert, very funny!!!!" When users clicked the link, malware took over their Web browsers and looked for vulnerabilities to exploit. When the unknowing users logged in to other sites, such as their financial institutions, criminals automatically had their banking login credentials.

Avoid hijacking by keeping these points in mind:

• Keep your antivirus software up to date. Download updates immediately, or set your program for automatic update.
  
  
• Always install patches and operating system updates. Of course, software updates and patches pop up for installation when you're in the middle of a project, and you probably don't have time to download them and restart your computer. Think of it this way: You don't have time for a malware infection or identity theft, either. Just stop, drop what you're doing and download the update.
  
  
• Respond quickly if someone reports unusual tweets from your account. If a friend tells you that your account is sending out strange or spammy tweets, then go to Twitter's login page immediately and change your password. If you've used that password on other accounts, like your online banking service, then change the password in those places as well.

About The Author: James Hallowell provides social media consulting services for a number of SMBs and enterprises throughout North America.

Did you find this article helpful? Have you been the target of spear-phishing on ‎Twitter? Please let James and myself know by leaving us your valued comments.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

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Until my next post on Monday with ten tips for small businesses using LinkedIn, be safe online and have a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

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Adding Real Marketing Value To Brands

With all the buzz on internet marketing, every company seems to be doing it. Their aims? To gain more clients, open up opportunities for revenues, and even step their game up a notch.

Indeed, internet marketing can promise you these favorable circumstances. However with the onslaught of Search Engine Optimization, Link Building, and Content Marketing, the competition's beginning to be tough once more. Not only that, as the giant search engine is making ways to improve their searchability; internet marketing just gets more complicated than ever.

Even if you're a white hat advocate or a black hat enthusiast, there's still that question left unanswered: Are you really doing something for your client's brand?


At A Standstill

Internet marketing has been on the hype recently due to the increased exposure it brings to different products and services all over the globe. It is without a doubt one of the most effective marketing strategies. With online marketing, even startup companies can go with the flow against the giants in their corresponding industry.

Yes we do have different strategies employed to go neck to neck with the competitors of our clients, but we use them all the same. It all boils down into proper execution; the more Google loves your techniques, the more that you'll rank for a certain keyword that you're optimizing. This is where the marketing standstill begins; as you rank higher in the SERPs, you begin to gain more confidence. Thus, this confidence may either make or break your efforts; there is a tendency to neglect or taper down your previous efforts.


Real Marketing, Less Worries

The secret to making online marketing work is the outreach you have for your client. Remember that what you do reflects the vision and mission of the company you work for. Think of online marketing as your own business or company as well. You'd want to be a great company that offers the best of the best. A real business, with a real product or service aimed to deliver only the best to the consumers or target market.

Marketing is simply promoting your product or service in order to gather consumers who are interested to avail or purchase what you offer. They are attracted to what they see, what they hear about your project, and what could they benefit from using your product or by availing your service. It might sound easy, but if you aren't a pioneer in the industry, clawing your way up is a tedious task.

However, because of the digital age, there are innovations in marketing that can be utilized to easily promote our brand in the market; hence, marketing itself is a dynamic cycle that involves factors that greatly contribute to the welfare of one's brand.


The Brand Speaks for Itself

Let's cut down to the chase; the three most important things you need to establish are:

• Presence
  
  An online presence is what that matters. It all starts with a website, a blog, and social bookmarks. Establishing your online presence is a first step in getting yourself ready for the long link battle ahead. It pays to check back Google's Webmaster Guidelines and watch out for Google Webmasters updates on YouTube. Update your blog frequently with relevant and informative content. Do site optimization while considering the user experience of visitors.
  
  
• Authority
  
  Or the so-called off-site optimization, authority is one factor to back up your online presence. You may have an online presence, but you're still among the billions of web pages in the world without a voice. Proper outreach and rubbing shoulders with the influences in your industry can help leverage your status from zero to hero. As you share the fame from their followers, they will begin to follow you, too. It's an incorrigible and effective method to build authority and spread influence far and wide.
  
  
• Crowd Engagement
  
  Of course, if you are influential, you'll have your own set of followers. Followers who will promote your brand even without you saying so. They will be your mini-marketers; word will spread like a disease on outbreak. It's important that while you maintain your influence, you communicate with your audience through your social bookmarks. Hold a contest, share some Tweets, make some viral content; anything just to keep your audience entertained.

Keeping these three in mind and continually running, your efforts can definitely add value since your not just interacting with Google's robots or crawlers; you're dealing with REAL people, who would help you get REAL results in marketing your own brand.

Online marketing is not all about metrics and how many links you have gained; it's about the value you bring to your client and how useful your strategies were to increase their presence, authority, and engagement.

Now, ask yourself; are you adding real marketing value for your client's brand?


About The Author: Alexis Trinidad is the Head of Outreach for SEOteky Philippines and Martin Lindstrom - speaker, author and advisor.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Alexis and myself know by leaving us your valued comments.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Related articles:
Taking Your Brand Social? Follow These Steps!
What Is A Brand And Why Is It Important
Brand Awareness: The Real Purpose Of SEO


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

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Until my next post on Friday on spear phishing on Twitter and how not to become the catch of the day, enjoy the rest of the week!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Keeping Your Pages Afloat On Google By Using The Disavow Tool

In today's online world, one of the most important parts of any effective business model, whether it is for a small business or a major corporation, is ensuring that the company's online presence is visible to potential customers. This means that the company's website must have a high Google search ranking. However, in order to achieve this, a company must be prepared to modify its online presence, especially when "bad links" result in Google downgrading its search engine ranking. This is where using Google's disavow tool can become a vital part of any online management strategy.


What are Bad Links?

Bad links are links that not only do not improve the company's Google page ranking, but also can actually result in Google downgrading the page's ranking, whether it is due to manual action or an automated downgrade by the Google search algorithm. In some cases, a bad link may be the result of previous publicity strategies that have now run afoul of new ranking policies on the part of Google. For example, an advertising firm may have attempted to increase their client's page ranking by creating hundreds or even thousands of low quality and spam style links. In other cases, these bad links may have been created by third parties that are not under the direct control of the company.

In many cases, these low quality links will result in Google taking action against the page or domain, either downgrading its rank or in some cases, removing it from search results entirely. That can be disastrous in today's increasingly Internet oriented marketing environment.


Using Google Disavow to Destroy Bad Links

The Google disavow tool is designed to effectively remove these bad links. Essentially the tool tells Google to no longer count those links in its algorithm. Disavow has the same effect as putting a nofollow tag on a link. In addition, the disavow tool can be used to eliminate entire domains from consideration in addition to individual links. In many cases, this may be a wise decision since these domains are unlikely to include any high quality links.

Removing links and domains with disavow has several advantages. The first advantage is that it can prevent the individual from ever suffering a downgrade in the Google search rankings by pre-emptively controlling low quality links. Secondly, if Google has already taken action, using the disavow tool can be an excellent way to remove poor links in preparation for submitting a reconsideration request to Google.


Disavow and Negative SEO

Another advantage of the disavow tool is that it can effectively provide a defence against negative SEO campaigns. These actions, often by competitors or electronic vandals, attempt to flood the Internet with a vast number of low quality links, without the owner's consent or knowledge. By using disavow, the owner can quickly and effectively remove these links from Google's consideration, effectively defending his or her page rank from these unethical attacks.

Ultimately, using the disavow tool can be a powerful and proactive way to protect a page from the damaging effects of bad links. Whether it is due to a malicious negative SEO campaign or simply the result of overzealous advertising attempts, bad links can become an anchor, dragging down or even sinking a page in Google's search rankings. By using the disavow tool, the owner can help ensure that his or her page remains at the top of Google's search rankings, rather than being consigned to their depths.


Did you like this article? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments in the comments section below.

Related articles:
Google's Disavow Tool: Use With Caution
Negative SEO: What Startups Should Know About It


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Until my next post on Wednesday on adding real marketing value to brands, have a great and productive week ahead!

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