As an increasing number of businesses and individuals are learning the merits of online PPC advertising, there may be some inclination that the potential effectiveness of an AdWords campaign is diminishing with such a saturated market. But this simply isn’t true. You can still run a very effective and profitable AdWords campaign if you know what you’re doing. Here are four useful techniques to bear in mind.

The first thing you should do is carefully consider your keyword strategy. Just because a PPC service offers a relevant keyword generation feature doesn’t mean you have to use it. Be very selective and precise with your keywords, and do your homework. Make sure that your keyword doesn’t have a double meaning or overlap with another industry. The last thing you need is people clicking up your ads who have no intention of buying your product or service.

Second, it is a good idea bid for the first page, but not for the first spot. What does this mean? It means that unless you are truly aiming to dominate the Internet landscape and be at the top of your industry, you shouldn’t worry about getting in the top slot on a SERP (search engine results page). If you are in the top ten spots, then you will appear on the first page of Yahoo results, though it varies for each service. Try to let your ad do the selling, not your position. Placing yourself at the top of the search results is a two edged sword - you will get more clicks, but they will not be as targeted.

The third strategy for running an effective AdWords campaign is to test, test, and then test some more. Don’t leave your campaign unmonitored and just everything is going to plan just because it did the week before. Your profitability of your keywords will likely be in a constant state of flux. As such, you need to continually monitor and test their effectiveness. PPC advertising is an open marketplace, and so ebbs and flows are to be expected on a monthly, weekly, and even daily basis.

The last Google AdWords technique you should consider is placing ads on relevant websites instead of just SERPs (search engine results pages). These ads are placed on a cost per impression basis (usually by the thousand) instead of a cost per click basis, and appear on websites that cater to your target demographic. This can be a great strategy for picking up cheap clicks.

By implementing these four easy solutions, you can increase your chances of success in the PPC industry. Good luck.

Posted: July 24th, 2008 under Advertising.
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Keyword research is a discipline embraced and used in SEO management by experts to allow them to determine which search terms people are searching on in the search engines. At its simplest level, this research is about studying the phrases that work for your audience and it is a real art. It is one of the most effective ways to identify niche markets that others have failed to recognize. Keyword research is very important so that the content of the pages are more attractive as much for the users as for the robots. Keyword research is not an exact science and shouldn’t be discussed like it is.

I like to focus on finding long tailed keyword phrases that have a significant number of monthly searches for that exact term with 5,000 to 300,000 competing websites. Long tailed keywords, are multi-word keyword phrases. Most folks searching with a one or two keyword are just “browsing”. Most people who use long tail keywords know what they want. Remember, you want to focus each page on 2-3 keyword phrase.

There are many free keyword research tools online. Most SEO software tools include these tools as well. Google, Yahoo and other search engines have free tools also. You want a tool that will give you the number of daily or monthly searches and competing web pages. There are even sites like “spyFu.com” that will let you see which terms your competitors are using.

How many keywords you have in an article is known as keyword density. Your keyword density should be anywhere from 3% to 7%. For example, if you were to write a 100 word article you would need to write the keyword in 7 times to achieve a 7% keyword density. For a 500-word article you would need to use your keyword 15 times to get a 5% density. I use a tool called “Content Composer” that does a fantastic job of keeping me on track.

Keyword research can be defined as choosing the words, which describe your product or service as, seen from the viewpoint of your target market is the most important step in the SEO Management process.

Posted: July 24th, 2008 under Advertising.
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How to generate more real estate leads has always been a hot topic with Realtors. With many Realtors no longer door knocking or cold-calling, the Internet has become a focus point for Realtors looking to generate real estate leads. With fierce competition and buyers and sellers ’shopping around’ before choosing someone to represent them, Realtors now need to offer free tools such as user friendly websites that are about the client, not about the Realtor.

Realtors looking to generate more leads will find the tips below useful. Not only will these tips tell you how to get more leads, but they will also help you turn those leads into successful sales!

You need to rank high with search engines such as Google, MSN and Yahoo.

Buyers and Sellers now begin their searches with top search engines so your website needs to rank high! A successful way to do this is with separate websites for Buyers and Sellers. As search criteria is different for Sellers than Buyers, you will need high ranking websites for BOTH!

Offer free services with your websites.

Make your website about your clients needs! You could do this by offering a free online CMA. This can be offered by a form they fill out online and then email back to you. Most Sellers are a little apprehensive to give out a contact number. This way they are only giving you their email address in exchange for your professional CMA.

Show them you care

Automated emails of new listings are OK, but a nice personal email goes a long way. These “new listing” email programs are a great tool, but without a personal touch they are all the same!

Website must be user friendly.

Sellers searching for a CMA online don’t want to spend time on a Realtors website just to find out they need to compose a long email explaining their home. If they do end up typing a long email about their home, they will likely copy that email and send it to 10 other Realtors in your area. A Seller wants a basic template where they just fill in the fields.

A free Buyers or Sellers tool goes a long way!

A free eBook on home staging is a great gift that any Seller would appreciate. Get the edge over your competition by offering your clients something they don’t have!

Most real estate boards provide Realtors with standard tools that ALL Realtors are able to offer their clients, making competition fierce. In order to separate yourself, you should explore different options. I feel internet marketing is the way of the future and with Buyers and Sellers shopping online; YOU NEED to put yourself in front of them. You could be the best Realtor in your market but without the proper tools, you will continue to struggle.

Posted: July 24th, 2008 under Online Marketing.
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Reseller hosting means purchasing a plan or a dedicated server for the purpose of establishing your own company. As a reseller you can decide what kinds of services you can sell. You can provide shared, dedicated or co location web hosting or merchant accounts, store fronts etc.

If you go with hosting then it might be useful to offer some other hosting related services like domain names, search engines etchant a variety of business of all sizes, small through large, are actively taking part in this business opportunity from educational institutions offering web hosting to students and teachers, to associations and other organizations offering hosting to members and staff, to the work-at-home entrepreneur offing hosting to his or her clients.

One of the main benefits is regular and balanced revenue. It forms a source of additional income for the companies. Reseller hosting is no different either, a reseller buys a Web hosting package from a hosting company and tries to sell it independently. The profit for the reseller lies in either the discount or in the commission s/he gets from selling an account. This has provided the necessary boost to reseller hosting and it occupies a vital place in the market. The competition in this field is relatively less, so there are no risks or losses.

Also there are no comparisons between small and large companies when it comes to reseller hosting. Most web hosting companies try to outsource their services to resellers as it helps them to extend their business reach without the cost of marketing and sales and also helps them to concentrate on the business side of things. You can also decide the amount you charge for each small part that you sell. This leaves a lot of room for profits and monetary gains.

You should find out the type of hosting you are interested in. The reseller might purchase a package whose features are valued at $100 for $90. So, the reseller stands to make a $10 profit on selling the package to customers. Normally as the customers increase, so does the profit margin for the reseller. You should also be aware of the technical aspects like disk space, control panels and bandwidth. If you are interested in purchasing web hosting from any company you should check the reseller plan which they offer for the best features and benefits for you and your clients.

Posted: July 24th, 2008 under Web Design.
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Stop me if you’ve heard this one before…

Having endlessly sought expert advice, read countless articles and listened to numerous stories about people who’ve built unimaginable wealth on the Internet using their vast opt-in lists, you finally decide it’s time to have one of your own. Now under the illusion you know everything, you follow all the advice to the Tee. And you fail to make even a single penny.

In fact, you’re leaking money, fast. A bit here whan you hired writers to help out with your articles, a bit there on advertising, and an even larger chunk on the latest can’t-possibly-fail traffic generating scam. Perhaps your list even got quite big. But only a tiny percentage actually converts to sales.

Either way, you’ve failed to make any profit, and after a few months’ daily scrutiny of your statistics and sales figures, you come to the conclusion that your dreams of Internet wealthbuilding lie in ruins.

You wonder what wrong. Why have others succeeded where you have failed? Perhaps you were too hasty, diving straight in like that. Maybe the product is rubbish, after all. Or maybe it’s you - you’re just not cut out for this…

Have similar thoughts ever crossed your mind?

Take heart, however - just because you emailed people on your list does not mean they’ll buy instantly. Patience is the key!

If you’ve already started an opt-in list and think you failed, or even if you’re just starting out, here are three quick and easy steps that you should try and follow:

1) Make sure you are selling product or service is one that people really need.

And know your product inside out. Too many people don’t bother to do this. And you can’t really expect your subscribers to buy something you haven’t bothered to research or learn about thoroughly, can you now? Your knowledge and belief, remember, is carried forward to your customers. If you appear unknowledgeable that will carry forward too. Take some time and effort to research your product thoroughly.

2) Join lots of forums. There your expert advice and recommendations will build you an aura of trust . You can build a base around other forum users, inviting them to join your opt-in list. They will become your friends, and friends make good customers. Remember to place a link to your site on your posts - it will enable them to see what your business is all about. If you mean what you say, they’ll begin to believe in you and your products. You can increase your credibility further as well as building more potential subscribers and customers by writing and submitting articles and posting blogs .

3) Find a mentor. Make friends with other opt-in list users (forums are an invaluable tool here, too). If you can find someone who has already launched a successful opt-in list, they will be able to tell you what to do and what not to do, because they have gone through it themselves. There are many pitfalls and mistakes to avoid - these people will be able to point them out to you. Experience is the best teacher, and there is nothing like getting it first hand. Learn from the mistakes of others!

Building a profitable opt-in list doesn’t happen overnight. It takes great preparation and effort. Opt-in lists have to be built from scratch and, once built, take some maintenance. Keep yours organized and manageable. But use it to Keep your subscribers happy and they’ll be willing to buy from you time and time again. Build your list, build Internet wealth!

Posted: July 24th, 2008 under Advertising.
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