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Internet Marketing
Building Web Content
Mar 3rd
Many people drone on about building “high quality web content.” What they fail to explain is just what content qualifies for such a lofty appraisal. Let’s face it: much web content is junky. And it’s not like it’s a big deal, either. The audience on the web has a short attention span, and is often looking just for the facts. If you can present your story in a clear and understandable manner, using excess verbiage is rarely helpful.
What makes good content? It’s debatable. But it’s safe to say some principles can’t hurt.
- Easy to read information
- Links to additional info, if needed
- Clear navigation and help if necessary
- Pictures and videos added if they expand the narrative
If people write authoritatively on a subject, readers will learn to trust the website. If the information is schlock and not up to snuff, the low quality will eventually stop people from wanting to investigate the site further.
Quality web content can be short, though. If you answer a question definitively in a concise manner, there’s no point in going long in an attempt to impress your reader.
Writings Tips For Internet Marketers
Dec 23rd
Use the “Hourglass Method” to Write Faster
It’s not what you think.
Using the “Hourglass” method has nothing to do with putting yourself on a timer to see how many articles you can write in an hour. It is, rather, a way for you to visualize the “shape” your article will take before you even begin to write it.
The Same Old Same Can’t Keep Working, Can It?
Jan 17th
People seem to do basically the same marketing tasks online, year in and year out. This leads you to wonder, are they doing it because it works, or because they don’t have any other ideas? It’s hard to believe that some of the old techniques still achieve success, but in a sense, they must, or surely they would disappear, like an extinct animal.
On the flip side of the coin, there are people who constantly experiment and innovate when it comes to approaching the same old problem. Surely they would use tried and tested principals if they were sure they worked.
So if they don’t subscribe to popular notions and instead try something radically different, what does that say about their methods? It says that innovation, of itself, must pay a dividend in a way that repeating old techniques can’t.
Everybody’s Going Viral
Jan 16th
2008 is the year where everyone and their uncle at least takes a shot at going viral. Widgets are everywhere, and so are all sorts of viral schemes that are aiming to grab hold of the internet. But even as social networks and Youtube and other Web 2.0 services mature, it means it still takes talent to reach the top.
If you plan on going Viral yourself, you’ll need some serious firepower. You need to make a web app, a video, or somethinng else that has real and unique staying power, and makes people recommend it to friends. That’s the tough part. You have to be unique enough that people will actually recommend you to others.
There is no limit to how much traffic you can get if you go viral, so it’s always worth trying. But be aware that everybody else is out there doing the same thing, so you have to make your offerings something special.
Some Internet Marketers Never Evolve
Jan 4th
Here we are starting another new year and some things haven’t changed. There are still people out there promoting their websites by spamming other’s websites. This has been going on for as long as I’ve been around, and I imagine it will continue long after I’m gone. The people who engage in this type of internet marketing are suffering from a “scarcity mindset”.
They think that traffic is something they have to “take” from others. They aren’t looking to build traffic on their own by using proven methods. Instead they surf around the web looking for websites where they can post their URL and “leach traffic” from more viable sources.
The problem with this method, of course, is that websites that actually have traffic are well policed and have been dealing with this for years.
My advice for these folks is to evolve. Give up your attempted scam and get with the program. The web will be a better place when you do. 
Snow Is Everywhere – An Internet Marketer’s Paradise
Dec 17th
Most people hate the snow and cold weather, and who can blame them? But if you’re an internet marketer, snow blanketing much of the world is good for business. It means more people will stay inside, on the internet, and your page views will go up accordingly. Now is the busy season for internet marketers, as people’s entertainment choices are limited.
Another nice factor concerning the cold is that I don’t feel like going outside either. So that sets up two factors for success: I’m in the mood to work and a bigger audience than usual is waiting. You can definitely crank up your traffic totals with these factors in play.
So the next time you feel like complaining because it’s cold out, remember how it’s an advantage to you as an internet marketer!
Website Admin Work Is Never Done
Dec 14th
No matter how much admin work you do on websites, your job will never be done. It’s just the nature of the game. There are always improved versions of software that need to be installed, and patches that have to be applied. If you do wander off and neglect your duties for a time, it will only get worse.
It’s almost always better to concentrate on daily management, so you can handle your task in small bite sizes. Otherwise, it would be easy to feel overwhelmed by all you have to.
This week I hit a lot of sites I had neglected for awhile, and I was surprised at just how much work I had to do. Oh well, such is the life of an admin.
Sending Reminder Notices To Dead Accounts
Dec 10th
That’s what I’ve been working on the last few days. I’ve been digging through my data, mining for people who were once visitors of my websites and who haven’t been around for awhile. Then I hit them with a “haven’t seen you, miss you” type greeting. So far, the results appear pretty decent.
I won’t be sure what the exact totals are until I gather stats for a week or so, but the basic premise seems to apply. You remind them you exist and some of them return to try the website. The costs are very low, and the possibility of turning them into users is high.
This should be especially useful for people who were involved at some point but have fallen off dramatically. Often the reason is unrelated to the website and a prompting message will get their attention and get them to visit. Things look good, so far.
Maintaining Focus While Marketing Online
Dec 7th
It’s very easy to lose your focus when you market online. There are literally tons of options for anyone who is looking to get customers to their websites. But most of the traffic you’ll buy is worthless, and you end up realizing pretty quickly that you need to focus on driving the targeted traffic that converts to your site. The rest just takes up resources.
If you try and attempt too many projects at once, you again run the risk of bogging down and losing focus. When this happens, you begin to notice a decline in numbers, not the required increase. At this stage of the game, it’s time to re-double efforts and get back to the basics.
When internet marketing is the problem, keeping the eagle eye of focus steadily on your task is the answer.
Earnings Plateaus – What Causes Them?
Dec 6th
Theoretically you could always earn more money online. But few people will have a straight-line of growth. Most will experience peaks and valleys. The danger is that the downtrends become more prevalent than the uptrends. If that becomes the case, you are in big trouble.
Temporary fluctuations in your earnings are no big deal. You need to understand what causes them. If it’s seasonal, oh well. Otherwise there might just be actions you can take to improve your situation.
In the end, the only way you can break through a plateau is by pushing harder, and mixing up your efforts.
The plateaus may be purely mental for all we know.