Few ways to stand out online

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Few ways to stand out online

Adapted to BitWine Audience from an article by Joanna L. Krotz. The full article originally targeted to site owners can be found here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officelive/FX102282331033.aspx?xid=8746d291-117a-494a-8014-c711f04d52a4

Online marketing now offers many cost-effective options that it’s hard to know where to focus. You can’t simply create a BitWine profile page and sit back. You must take action to get noticed – be proactive. So here are few smart, affordable ways to bolster your BitWine profile and attract customers.

Make it easier to find your profile All the buzz about search-engine marketing is because most people head for a search engine when researching for goods and services. Since searchers rarely click below the first few listings, getting your company or product ranked high on results pages can help generate traffic.

Search-engine marketing is complex and time-consuming, yet there are some simple ways to improve the odds of prominent placement.

The right keywords Top rankings come from having content and keywords on your profile that matches the keywords customers use to search for what you sell. The closer or more relevant the match, the higher the engines will rank you.

You can identify those keywords or phrases by brainstorming with customers, friends and associates to learn the search words they use. Check your keywords often to refine the process.

Affiliate links Search engines like to “see” lots of links to your page, because that translates into a well-trafficked site, which leads to higher rankings. To find effective places to put your links, search for the phrases or keywords associated with the service you offer. In your search results, skip competitors, and choose marketers that support what you do. Ad links to those sites, for instance, a Nutrition Advisor might link to Nutrition Company. Then send an e-mail or call to ask about exchanging links. Your profile link can be found here http://www.bitwine.com/tools/buttons after you log in to your BitWine account.

Vertical search engines besides the broad horizontal engines, harness the targeted power of engines specific to your industry.

Reward customer errors Countless numbers of potential customers input a wrong search keyword or misspell the name of the problem they have when searching. Make sure they end up on your Profile anyway.

Register common misspellings on your profile Keywords. So if someone types Dite your Diet profile will still come up.

Offer e-learning By creating a courses and telling about it, you can reach out to remote and large groups of prospects on an ongoing basis, not only clients but also other professionals.

One California tax accountant discovered she could create and deliver an online professional training course for an unlimited audience. Eventually, her course became so lucrative that she stopped her tax practice and focused on conducting online courses.

You need to keep your skills and knowledge up-to-speed to make this work. Also think about courses that will fuel interest and sales. A lawyer, for instance, might offer an e-course on drafting a will, rather than just Legal Advice.

Easy-to-use online tools like some of the Screen Sharing tools provided as Skype Extras or independent tools such as http://showmypc.com/ can get you started in the courses space.

Use offline ads to trigger a search Offline and online marketing is increasingly blurred. You see a roadside billboard, a trade journal ad, a URL on a coffee mug and, bam! Next thing you know, you’ve pulled up the browser. Use relevant keywords and associations from other people ads.

A recent analysis by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association found that consumers “take cues from traditional advertising to determine when and where to search.” That includes magazine and newspaper ads, store and direct-mail coupons and feature articles for example write articles in the BitWine Forums, and include your link. BitWine forums are sampled by Google every day.

Get friendly with Web 2.0. The rise of online social networking has been fast and furious. Such real-time and peer-to-peer outlets, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace, and the ballooning Blogosphere directly reach thousands of customers for mere pennies. You can use these outlets to start online conversations, post editorials and professional facts and announce news to build your reputation as an expert advisor.

You can also launch your own Blog (or a new thread on the BitWine forum) to attract customers to return. Remember that Blogs and forums demand time and effort to stay timely. To start a Blog, check the tips offered by the National Federation of Independent Business trade group (www.nfib.org).

Most of all: Think content, content, content. Good descriptions of your services and compelling calls to action on your profile will make customers care and return.

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