Posts

Consistent Business Branding for Internet Marketing

, ,

Branding for Internet MarketingNo matter what form of business you are branding online, it is important that your online presence is represented with a consistent brand and marketing message that clearly describes your business. To determine your “Online Brand” you must first evaluate your Niche Market. It is important to have a marketing statement that reaches multiple groups of people but also do not forget to target a smaller focused group called a Niche Market. Reaching millions of people may not mean that your sales will increase. Targeting a Niche Market, an audience that is truly interested in your services, may increase your conversion dramatically. You must always think of your audience and place yourself in their shoes. First, think about the overall design of your website. Is your website professional or suitable enough for the clients that will be interested in your services? Is the message clear in your content about your products and services? There is a lot of hard work that goes into Branding your business online; however once you evaluate every factor and thoroughly research your market, you can then begin to truly reach your audience.

First, start by defining your business in as few sentences as possible. If you are creating profiles on the top social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, you want to have a consistent description of your business on each site. Evaluate what categories or industries you most likely fall under. This is the beginning of developing your personal online brand. Develop a list of 10 descriptive keywords that you can consistently use to describe your business and that match up with your websites content. You have to think of yourself as a client who is searching for your service information online. If you were the customer what keywords would you type in a search engine to find your products and services? If you offer more than one service it is important to develop a list of keywords relevant to each service.

This may seem simple however it takes a lot of planning and developing to determine what keywords are most beneficial to use. You have to consider what keywords your competitors are using, what the monthly search rate is for your keywords (Are the words to broad? Do you have a chance to rank well for these words?), if you keywords not searched often enough, and so on. It is important to find the appropriate keywords most suitable for your business that you have a chance of ranking high for and optimizing those words throughout you’re online marketing campaign.

Thorough descriptions, professional web design, relevant content, optimized keywords and content, targeted niche audience, these are all important factors to evaluate for your online brand and must always remain consistent across the board. If you are in the beginning of developing your Business Website then TurkReno can help you focus on Website Development, Website Design, and Online Marketing, such as Search Engine Optimization or Pay-Per-Click Management. Choosing one business to help develop all three categories will be best for your online branding to stay consistent. Luckily, there are companies, such as TurkReno, that focus in great depth on Online Branding and can truly bring success to your website through online marketing.

/by

Use Facebook To Promote Your Business In 5 Steps

, ,

Facebook Statistics GraphFacebook can be used to promote your business by building an Official Page. You can open a Facebook business account that has limited privilege or you can use your personal account to create a Company Page, such as the TurkReno Facebook Page. Facebook only allows an individual one account and it is a violation subject to your account being terminated if you create more than one account.

If you choose to attach a business page to your personal page, you can promote your business to your friends by suggesting that they “like” your page.  Whether you use a personal or business account, you can promote your business with ads.

You can mix your personal and business page by sharing posts, photos and sharing with friends or you can keep them completely separate. This is determined by your security settings, how you post information and who you confirm as a friend. If you worry about what family or high school friends are going to post on your wall, consider keeping your accounts separate by not sharing information between them. For more information on business accounts, go to Facebook Help Center.

Now let’s get down to business promotion:

  1. Create your Official Page. This page can be linked to your personal page or can be created as a business account. Business accounts have limited privilege. In order to make an official company page, you’ll have to have a Facebook account business or personal.  If you currently use your Facebook account to connect with family and personal friends, consider keeping the pages separate. It is possible to have all your “friends” under the same Facebook account by managing security settings, but it requires that you manage your account. You don’t want items posted to your wall that are not appropriate for your business friends.
  2. Create your Official Page for a local business, product or group. Keep in mind your brand as you add character to your page. Your business summary and logo are essential to branding. You can add more detailed information and photos to give more personality. You can be formal, keep it light-n-lively or anywhere in between. If you need ideas, go to some other Official Pages of businesses in your industry or area. Don’t try to be just like another page or site, just use as a way to spark you own creativity. If your page will be a group effort, make sure you establish the ground rules and that one person is charged with brand monitoring.
  3. Post to your Company Wall. If you have a blog, you should link or add your posts to Facebook using a Facebook application such as NetworkedBlogs.  If you have decided to post photos, upload flattering photos of company events individually or in albums.  Keep it interesting and mix up the types of  posts to appeal to your fans.  The frequency of posts is up to you, but once you start make sure you are consistent.  Start with once or twice a week to test the required time commitment.
  4. Promote your Company Page by suggesting to your friends.  Facebook recently replaced the “Become a Fan” button with the “Like” button.  Not everyone likes the new terminology and the debate continues on what it is to be a fan or like a page.  For your Company Page, the important point is to get people to like and visit your page.  Provide useful information and use as a way to drive visits to your blog or website.
  5. Promote your Company Page with an ad.  You can purchase impressions or clicks and choose your target audience. You can create variations of ads to test your marketing campaign using different logos, text and demographics.

These are 5 easy steps to start promoting your business with Facebook.  Experiment to see what gives you the best interactions. The Insights box, visible to administrators, gives you an indication of the amount of interaction with your business “friends.” You’ll also begin receiving weekly e-mails with updates that give helpful insights. And one good like, deserves another. Go to the businesses you know, favorite their pages and like their posts to get the ball rolling.

/by

Action CAT – We are STILL CHARTER FISHING in Orange Beach, Alabama!

, , ,

From our Client – Action Charter Service – 05/16/2010:

We’ve gotten a lot of calls since the oil spill happened and it’s put everyone on pins and needles. But, truth be told: We’re still fishing and the catches couldn’t be better! We’ve been commercial fishing east of the spill and went out on 3 different trips this weekend alone. We’d like to just share with you a few quick facts that seem to be misunderstood across the web (This is from the Gulf Shores Conventions and Visitors Bureau):

Gulf Oil Spill Update, Sunday, May 16, 11:30 a.m. – http://www.gulfshores.com/issues

  • Beaches across the island are clear. Sporadic quantities of tarballs were found washed up on the beach Tuesday in areas between Lagoon Pass in Gulf Shores west to Fort Morgan. Contracted crews immediately went to work to clean the affected areas.
  • There have been no reports of oil odor along the beaches of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or Fort Morgan. At its closest point, the slick is approximately 50-60 miles away from the most western tip of our island.
  • The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management stated that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.
  • Tarballs travel independently of an oil slick and are not an indication that the slick itself will travel in the same direction or to the same area. The oil slick still has not reached the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and, according to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) forecasts, is not expected to for at least 72 hours. Forecasts beyond 72 hours are not available.
  • According to NOAA, tarballs DO NOT pose a health risk to the average person. However, beachgoers are advised not to pick them up if they encounter any on the beach.
  • NOAA is providing daily updates to the closed fishing area, based on changes in the size or direction of the oil slick. To view the most recent map, visit http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.
  • Although NOAA has closed commercial and recreational fishing in a limited area between the mouth of the Mississippi River and Florida’s Pensacola Bay, there is a large area of the gulf still open. Charter boats are leaving Orange Beach, Gulf Shores & Fort Morgan every day to fish areas up to 25-30 miles out and in our inshore waters.

We would absolutely love to take you out on either one of our boats, the Action CAT or the Emerald Spirit. Either boat can make sure you have the best vacation possible while visiting the beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast. Give us a call and let us give you a memorable vacation you’ll want to return to year after year!

/by

Does Running a Web Consulting Business Mean No Bank Holidays

,

Here I am sat in front of the computer waiting for one of my business partners to arrive and I start to think, ‘Does Running a Web Consulting Business Mean No Bank Holidays?’

Well, the truth is out there, as the saying goes, and take a look at any successful network marketer and they will tell you one thing. You never stop.

It might seem as though you’re listening when your partner walks into the room, throws a cup of coffee your way and tells you the kids have just climbed up onto the roof and are throwing rocks at the neighbor’s cat for the fifth time this week but the truth is you haven’t heard a word of it and so you smile curiously and say something like, ‘Oh, okay, I’ll be with you in a minute. Thanks for the coffee’.

You haven’t heard a word because you’re too busy looking for that next million. The Internet is taking over your home and there’s nothing you can do about it. So why not make a web site?

And listen, if this is you:

It’s okay.

Really, we understand and we know what it’s like to rush down stairs at 3:47AM because there’s just that something you need to do online because the guy you were talking to an hour ago in Hong Kong promised to get back to you and you’re sure he’s probably online right now waiting for your reply and besides you’re not really that tired.

We understand.

So go do your thing this bank holiday and forget that others around you have different lives. We’re still here giving quotes.

Yours is exactly that so make the most of it.

/by
Website Design in Mobile Alabama

How To Become A Web Expert Without Spending A Dime

, , ,

I recently read this online and really felt like it spoke to me directly.  I know that parts of it are a bit catchy, but it serves a very good purpose and point.  Read it, comment, all kudos go to the original author though.

Imagine you’re a master at making money online, that you’re passionate, and excited during almost every hour you spend working. Visualize people coming to YOU for answers to their most important Web-related questions. Envision emails and phone calls flooding in every day with eager, prospective customers. Read on to learn the secret to achieving all of this.

If I could show you how to become a Web design, development or marketing expert without spending a dime, would you want to learn?

Imagine you’re a master at making money online, that you’re passionate, and excited during almost every hour you spend working. Visualize people coming to YOU for answers to their most important Web-related questions. Envision emails and phone calls flooding in every day with eager, prospective customers. Read on to learn the secret to achieving all of this.

First, discernment and discretion are vital. There are many programs online, many e-books, many self-proclaimed Web gurus and so much information today that it’s overwhelming and could send you to the poor-house faster than the speed of digital communication.

Where should I go to learn Web marketing? How should I spend my time? Who should teach me? What websites offer the best information? How do I make money using the Internet? What are the most important things I should learn? Should I learn Java or PHP? What are the fundamentals? How do I write effective copy online? How long will it take me before I can start my own business? The answer to all these questions can is . . .

Before I explain, let me tell you a brief story of my inchoate professional life. I barely knew what a computer while in college. It was only after living on both coasts playing live music did I conclude that a career in computers may make me a few more dollars than a career in music. It was then I decided I wanted to become a Web expert.

I had first considered attending a high-priced computer school that a programmer friend had recommended. But I had no money, and the school required all its students to attend full-time. I needed to eat and provide a roof over my head, and for that I needed to work full-time, so this expensive computer school was out of the question for me.

Although my options were limited, but I diligently looked in the Want Ads till I found a job that I could possibly do that was related to computers. The job title was “Internet Exploration Specialist”. I know that sounds slightly strange, but if you had met my chair-throwing, screaming and eccentric boss-to-be, it would make a little more sense.

I got the job and outlasted the most optimistic office pool prediction for how long I would remain working for the perpetually livid CEO. Looking back, it was probably one the best things I could have ever done (minus the maniacal boss, that is). I learned how to surf the Web. I became an expert Internet peruser, a digital explorer, a website connoisseur, and a professional information superhighway surveyor.

At around the same time I learned one of the secrets to becoming an expert at something. You have to put the time in. People who remain working in careers that they hate don’t put in the extra time to develop a career in something they love. Pure and simple. So while I had down time at work, I read books and found websites that taught me how to do things Web-related tasks. More importantly, I spent time after work and on the weekends reading, practicing and developing my Web skills.

Back when I began developing my Web career, the Internet wasn’t as big as it is today. There weren’t as many options for learning Web-related skills. Since I had no money, I simply searched for free online tutorials, primers and how-to’s. They became my staple for learning. Since I had seriously developed my Web surfing skills, I inevitably found many highly educational websites. And there weren’t as many scams back then either, there weren’t as many “gurus”. Web marketing or e-marketing hadn’t even become terms yet, so I had a lot of success getting reliable information.

Today it’s different. This is both good news and bad news. I’ll start with the bad news.

You can’t throw a rock into the Internet ocean now and NOT hit a get-rich-quick plan, a Web marketing curriculum, or an e-marketing “expert”. You’ve got StomperNet, Portal Feeder, Pipeline Profits, The Rich Jerk, Strategic Profits and Traffic Secrets to name only a few. There’s too much to choose from and they all come for a steep price. Now many of these programs may teach you a lot, but it will cost you. I’m here to say that you don’t need to spend any money. You’re reading this for free, aren’t you?

But here’s the good news.

Because of the way Google ranks websites now, because the very nature of the Internet as man’s most prolific and complete resource on everything, and because of human nature being curious and information-driven, the Web has massive amounts of extremely useful, high-quality, free information. People are falling all over each other trying to produce and publish high-quality Web content all at no cost to you.

Again, Google is one reason. One main way Google ranks a website is by how many authoritative sites link to that website. The best way to get new links pointing to your site is by creating useful content that anyone can access. If the content is fresh, original and high-quality, people will link to it.

And here’s more good news. Of all the subjects there are in the world, and therefore all of the subjects discussed online, the Web is the most popular.

Of course this has to be true. Think about it. Who’s doing all the posting? Webmasters. And what do webmasters know best? The Web. So you’re going to find a huge amount of tutorials, primers, articles, forum posts, blogs and websites that offer tons of useful information on how to become good at all kinds of Web-related things, and all at no charge.

Here are a few tips for effectively searching online.

  • Open up two or three browser windows at a time. One should have Google, the next Yahoo or MSN Search and the third should be your working browser. Use all three browsers when searching by toggling to each of them. By using different search engines, you’ll get a wide range of different results.
  • Use quotes around your phrases to find exact phrases. This will give you results that have the words in your phrase only in that order.
  • Use long tail search phrases when using a search engine. Long tail means many words. The more specific your search phrase is, the more relevant results you’ll get. For example, searching in Google for “free tutorials for beginner web marketers and expert career advice” instead of “web marketing tutorials” will yield more relevant results for you.
  • Use the minus sign to weed out superfluous results. For example, if you’re looking for event tickets and you type in “Boston tickets”, you’ll end up with lots of airline related results. Instead use “Boston event tickets” “airline flights”.
  • Get creative in contructing your search phrases. Combine multiple concepts.
  • Don’t just use search engines. Join forums like WebmasterWorld, DigitalPoint, SitePoint, HighRankings and SEOChat, visit blogs, and read how-to’s and tutorials found in article directories. Regularly visit authority webmaster sites like DevGuru, Developer.com, TheNetGazette.net, HTMLprimer.com and WebKnowHow.net.
  • Go to and participate in Web 2.0 sites such as PlugIM, FreeIQ, Digg, Technorati, Simpy, Del.iciou.us, MarkTD, BibSonomy and Squidoo.
  • Become good friends with your Favorites or Bookmarks feature in your browser. Set it up so you develop a well-organized, useful list of websites, Internet destinations and Web pages and posts that you can constantly refer back to.Becoming an expert Web marketer or Web programmer can be done by putting aside time every day to learn your craft and by becoming good at finding the right information online that doesn’t cost anything. The more you search for useful information, the better you’ll become at it, and it will soon take you less and less time to find what you want.Therefore, the answer to all the questions above is: you’ll need patience, discipline, time management skills, and Internet searching skills. The searching skills come to you by simply practicing, by putting the time in online. Everything you need to know to become a Web expert without spending a dime is literally a few clicks away online and most of it is free. Get to work.

Copyright: Copyright © 2007-2008 Jason OConnor

Jason OConnor is President of Oak Web Works – The
synthesis of Web design, technology and marketing

Jason is an expert at Web design and programming, e-strategy, and
e-marketing

http://www.oakwebworks.com

mailto: joconnor888 @ hotmail.com
—
Drop us a line! Web Site Design, Web Development, Web Hosting, Web Everything from TurkReno Incorporated in Mobile, Alabama.

/by