November 2005
Monthly Archive
Linking strategies and scams - beauty and the beast
Google’s recent Jagger update has resulted in how we view linking strategies taking on a new focus.
Link targeting
The blog world and article index is full of advise on better targeting your links, keeping them within your own site’s genre. This can be easy for some sites, but a bit obscure for some others. Take one of my sites for instance. Caricature King deals with providing excellent caricatures drawn from photos. So who to link with? (at least as far as Google is concerned).
I could quite justifiably link with the following sites:
- Photographic sites (after all they are drawn from photos)
- Art sites (it has to do with art)
- Gift sites (they can be given as gifts)
- Wedding sites (ditto gifts)
- Other caricaturists sites
- Scrapbooking sites (make an unusual scrapbook entry)
- Sports sites (get one done of your sporting team or favourite sporting star)
- Printing sites (they can be printed and look great on the wall)
SEO and the New Google
Google’s updates always leave webmasters a bit anxious. The Jagger update left many looking for the sedatives…
Over at hobgit dot com is a useful article
» SEO For The New Google
There is a good discussion on how to regain your rankings by looking at:
· The history of your web pages
Building business - meet customer’s expectations
MattE 18 Nov 2005 | : Marketing
Businesses thrive on satisfied customers. Happy customers come back, unhappy ones don’t.
Keeping happy customers happy is not hard, after all, they are the ones who are happy with what you deliver. But those who are unhappy, or even of no great opinion about your business are the ones to focus on to build your business, be it on-line or traditional bricks and mortar.
Why? Simply because there are more of them.
Yes, there are more people who have a neutral to poor view on your business than there are who have a positive view. This is important because they are the ones who can take it or leave it when it comes to doing repeat business with you.
Instant Messaging - way of the future?
MattE 13 Nov 2005 | : Communications, SMS, Web
It seems that Instant Messaging is becoming increasingly popular, at least among AOL users in America.
In a survey of 4510 users, AOL says that 90% of teens use IM (I know my daughter is always on MSN’s version) and that it is becoming increasingly used in the mainstream communications environment, including on mobile phones and PDAs.
The use on mobile phones and PDAs indicates an interesting preference to email on mobiles - the instant nature of IM and the ability to see if people are ‘online’ allows just the sort of communication/visibility demanded by today’s communicators.
While SMS text messaging still dominates in the mobile messaging arena, 32 percent of all mobile messengers now use an instant messaging service on their mobile device instead of, or in addition to, sending SMS text messages. Men are slightly more likely than women to use mobile instant messaging (38 percent vs. 28 percent).
Dealing with Customer Objections
MattE 12 Nov 2005 | : Marketing
One of the biggest hurdles facing small business owners when making sales are customer objections - reasons why they are reluctant to, or don’t want to buy from you.
The best way to overcome objections is to stop them arising in the first place. If your product is more expensive than your competitors, get in early and tell them why.
Is it because yours is;
Ebay and PayPal
It seems strange that I cannot clear my A$1.72 debt on EBay by paying via PayPal.
It will cost me more than this to write a cheque and post it….so I still owe $1.72.
It is time for Ebay to use its payment processing arm better.
Google Privacy Center: Terms of Service
This line on Google Privacy Center: Terms of Service is open to plenty of interpretation…
The Google Services are made available for your personal, non-commercial use only. You may not use the Google Services to sell a product or service, or to increase traffic to your Web site for commercial reasons, such as advertising sales.
Website usability - when nothing works!
MattE 07 Nov 2005 | : Marketing, Web
I was doing some market research for a client and had cause to look at this site Restaurant & Catering Queensland - Home Page.
Website usability is important, so the website for a state chapter of an industry peak organisation would eb well-maintained - or so you’d think.
First up, the site does not work in FireFox. My logs show me up to 20% of people use this browser now - so that is potentially how many people find the site totally inaccessible. (Which is really amusing when they have a big 2005 Award for Excellence button on the page).
We watch for ads?
MattE 05 Nov 2005 | : Marketing, Media, SMS, Web
Allison over at qtags (USA based text a code reminder system) made an interesting post We watch for ads? which looks at what we use our TV, computer and mobile phone for.
Everything except to look at advertising - which I agree with. But of course, we have come to accept advertising on TV and the barrage of text and blinking banner ads on the internet.
Most of all though, I hope the advertising houses listen to Allison’s (and my) sentiment that mobile phones are NOT suitable for push marketing (unless to agree via someone like BluesKy Frog where you get free stuff in return).
Asking people to register as part of your checkout process - you are chasing sales away
MattE 03 Nov 2005 | : Marketing, Web
We’ve said it before, we say it again, don’t ask people to register as part of a purchase process - you will chase people away….here’s and classic tale (or should we say tail) Another Dumb Pet Trick
Its about the frustrations of a customer with a sign-up process as part of making a simple purchase.
WHY ask for people to register? Everything you want to know you gather as part of the sales process. But I hear people cry “But what about logging in to check order tracking!” My suggestion, offer that as an option.
