Thursday, October 23, 2008
This Blog Has Moved
Monday, October 6, 2008
Do-It-Yourself Secrets for Creating a Profitable Website or Blog
Andy is the co-founder of Click for Clients, a training company focused on teaching entrepreneurs how to build web-based marketing systems at minimal cost.
He began playing with the Internet in 1993 while working as a corporate graphic designer. In 1995, Andy saw the potential for doing business online, so he built an e-commerce site -- ProjectorSuperStore.com -- selling audio/visual hardware.
Not long after the site was up and running, and a few crude search engine optimization techniques later, requests started coming in from all over the world. In only three years, and with just three employees, the company grew from $0 to $15 million in sales.
Since then, Andy has started several other Internet businesses, including Max Podcasting, a site for real estate video podcasts. He has also consulted with scores of small business owners across the country.
During this 44-minute interview, you'll discover do-it-yourself secrets for creating a profitable website or blog, as well as ...
· A simple way to convert "ugly" URLs into web addresses with keywords or phrases that search engines love.
· 3 ways you can stay on top of the latest trends in website design and functionality without spending hours scouring the Internet.
· How to automate the blog writing process and receive content targeted toward your key phrases.
· A f r e e tool that rewrites text so you eliminate the risk of duplicate content on your website or blog.
· 2 online tools that help you identify lucrative keywords with low competition, making it easy for you to optimize your website for the top position in the search engines.
· A quick and easy technique for generating back links that will help push your website up the search engines.
· 4 resources you can start using today to instantly generate traffic and build back links to your website -- at absolutely no cost.
· How you can quickly get started using social media to network, distribute your own content and receive cutting-edge information about your industry before anyone else.
· And much more.
Get this exclusive interview by clicking or downloading thefollowing MP3 link:
http://www.writewaysolutions.com/mp3/andyweb.mp3 (Part 1)
http://www.writewaysolutions.com/mp3/andyweb2.mp3 (Part 2)
You can also read the transcript here: http://www.writewaysolutions.com/pdf/andytranscript.pdf
Enjoy!
Also, Andy's social media website, Social Orange, allows you to connect and learn from small business owners worldwide -- and it's absolutely f r e e. Check it out at http://www.socialorange.com.
One other thing ... If you haven't already, be sure to listen to my interview with brandologist Lisa Barnard. She explains how you can use branding to capture prospects and create customers at http://tomtrush.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-to-use-branding-to-capture.html.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
A Little Inspiration for You …
A quick glance at CNN.com shows the usual doom and gloom “highlighting” the latest headlines.
Gators, dead cows may hide Ike victims ... Which jobs will get cut first? ... Cop commits suicide after stun gun death ... America’s chilling future ... X-ray shows knife stuck in teen’s skull ... Mets pitcher sought after fatal hit-and-run ...
Sure, I understand negativity drives the news, but these days it’s gone to an entirely new -- and ridiculous -- level.
All this negativity is the reason why I’m telling you about one of my favorite inspirational resources. My twin brother introduced it to me last year.
http://www.212movie.com
When you click on the above link, be prepared to set aside about 2 minutes. That’s how long it will take you to view the video.
What you’ll experience is one of the quickest ways I’ve found to transform your mindset, boost your energy and renew your focus. In fact, I believe the inspirational message in this video is so powerful that I used it last year to lead off one of my seminars.
While watching the video, I encourage you to think about how you can apply the inspirational message to your marketing efforts.
Don’t worry. You don’t have to sign up for anything or spend a single cent.
The video will start playing immediately after you click the link.
http://www.212movie.com
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
How to Write ‘Easy Reading’ Ads Your Prospects Will Remember
After all, using words your prospects understand is a basic rule when crafting an effective message.
I admit, though, writing "easy reading" copy is a battle I fight every day.
One reason why is because, until recently, I couldn’t find an explanation of how readability is measured.
Sure, I understood the importance of using short sentences and simple words.
I also realized you could spell check your document in Microsoft Word and learn its Flesch-Kincaide Grade Level -- a number that corresponds with the years of education generally required to understand the text.
But I still wasn’t clear about the exact factors that determine readability. I wanted specific guidelines I could follow to virtually guarantee anything I wrote was easy to read and understand.
A couple of weeks ago, I finally found what I was looking for ...
In July, I began studying Clyde Bedell’s advertising course, "How to Convert White Space into Advertising That Sells."
An advertising copywriter and consultant, Clyde wrote for notable companies such as Butler Brothers, Ford and Mercedes-Benz from the 1930s to 1960s. He was also the first person inducted into the National Retail Advertising Hall of Fame.
In his course, written in 1963, Clyde uses the following four factors to explain the analysis behind an "index of readability":
1. Sentence length (i.e., number of words)
2. Word simplicity (i.e., absence of affixes or the number of syllables per 100 words)
3. Personal words (i.e., pronouns and words with masculine or feminine gender, such as man, uncle, actress, fisherman)
4. Personal sentences (i.e., direct quotes or sentences that carry direct commands, suggestions or questions for the reader)
By itself, this is valuable information. However, what he mentioned next is the key that could unlock your treasure chest of advertising gold.
"Your sentences to the public in advertising should average not over 14 words. Fewer would be better. Syllables should be kept to 140 per 100 words -- or less. 'Personal words' should make up about 10% of your ad writing."
Of course, these recommendations assume you run ads with more than just a few words and a price splashed across a product picture.
If you use copy-starved ads because you think people won’t read a lot of text, I encourage you to re-think this belief.
True, most people will not read ads filled with text ... but your prospects will! Why pursue the general public when you can target prospects who crave information about your product?
If you need proof of how well long copy works, search online for early Campbell’s Soup magazine ads. The company became one of the nation’s most successful advertisers by running ads averaging well over 200 words -- and they were selling 10-cent cans of soup!
According to Nielsen Monitor-Plus, last year Campbell’s Soup spent $525 million advertising its family of brands.
They must be doing something right.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
How to Use Branding to Capture Prospects and Create Customers
Lisa is the founder and owner of Brain Lab, a business branding consultancy specializing in helping entrepreneur-led businesses define and implement a clear, concise brand -- both internally and externally. Lisa's ability to execute creative that is "out of the box" and produces results for clients has garnered awards in both print and broadcast mediums.
As a creative lead, she's worked on several high-profile accounts, including Gemstone Hotels & Resorts, Cielo Phoenix, San Luis Obispo Visitors & Conference Bureau, Shamrock Foods, the Girl Scouts, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Public Service Company of New Mexico, Salt River Project and New Mexico State Tourism.
During this 40-minute interview, you'll discover how to use branding to capture prospects and create customers, as well as ...
- 3 questions you must answer without any doubt before you begin branding yourself or your company.
- A common mistake that can cause you to retract and restart your branding strategy -- regardless of how long you've been in business.
- Why improper use of creativity can damage your brand beyond repair.
- 3 essential items that will instantly legitimize your company's brand with your prospects and customers.
- What a German SUV has to do with helping you develop an effective branding strategy.
- A low-cost online resource that could put you on a fast-track to building a brand people recognize and remember.
- 9 simple questions to help you determine if you can begin including sustainability as part of your brand ID.
- And much more.
Get this exclusive interview by clicking or downloading the following MP3 link: http://www.writewaysolutions.com/mp3/brandinterviewweb.mp3
You can also read the transcript here: http://www.writewaysolutions.com/pdf/branding_ebook.pdf
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Still Not Getting Any Love from the Search Engines?
Without a doubt, it was one of the most popular pieces I've ever written.
I think one of the reasons why is because it showed you don't have to be an expert webmaster (I'm certainly not) or empty your wallet to experience search engine success. After all, you can make a huge impact on your search engine ranking by just tweaking your text.
Now, I'm certain there are still plenty of people who are hesitant to make adjustments to their websites -- and that's okay.
For those of you who may need a little more encouragement, here's an excellent resource that will help you take action: http://www.clickforclients.com/blog/2008/08/brief-04-make-search-engines-love-your-web-pages/
Now, before you click on the above link, please be prepared to set aside about 20 minutes. That's how long it will take you to view this video from Andy Renk, co-founder of Click for Clients.
The ideas Andy reveals -- at absolutely no cost -- are designed to make search engines LOVE your web pages. Best of all, his suggestions are easy to incorporate.
I encourage you to pay special attention to Andy's tip about how to create "search engine optimization juice" using internal links.This simple adjustment can have a dramatic effect on your search engine ranking and the length of time people stay on your site.
Here's the link again: http://www.clickforclients.com/blog/2008/08/brief-04-make-search-engines-love-your-web-pages/
There's no opt-in. Simply click the link and you can start watching immediately.
Monday, August 11, 2008
5 Common Mistakes That Bury Your Website in the Search Engines
How can I increase my website’s search engine rankings so I get more traffic?
If you have a website, there’s a good chance you’ve asked this question (or a variation of it) many times.
You may have even searched online for a solution. After all, there’s no lack of companies claiming they can place your website atop the search engines.
If fact, you don’t have to look any further than your e-mail inbox to see these promises. Search engine ranking is a common spam topic.
When providing advice on improving search engine ranking, I focus on five components that revolve around your content. But before I tell you how to use them, let’s eliminate one myth before going any further.
Spending tons of money on your website has little -- if any -- effect on your search engine ranking. Any attempt to buy your way to the top of the search engines will only leave you frustrated ... and holding an empty wallet.
If you truly want your website in the top positions on search engines, prepare to put in some effort. What I’m about to tell you is not a "lazy man’s way" to search engine success.
Instead, you’ll find solutions to the 5 biggest mistakes I see on websites as they relate to search engine rankings.
Website Mistake #1: Your content is outdated.
Search engines such as Google crave fresh content. So treat your text as if it was your wardrobe -- and keep it updated. Better yet, commit to regularly adding new content to your website.
Your written words are the most important aspect of your website. When you provide current content that matches your prospects’ needs, you encourage repeat visitors and give yourself more opportunities to be found in the search engines.
When writing your new content, keep in mind the following two questions posed by legendary copywriter Robert Collier:
What is the bait that will tempt your reader?
How can you tie up the thing you have to offer with that bait?
Website Mistake #2: You have a low number of incoming links.
The number of other websites linking to your website is an important factor in your search engine ranking. As you build incoming links, your credibility with the search engines grows.
One way I like to boost incoming links is by distributing articles to directories such as EzineArticles, Articlesbase, GoArticles and iSnare.
When you use these free services, you give online publishers the opportunity to post your articles on their sites, blogs or newsletters. So, in addition to increasing your incoming links, your work is introduced to a new audience of prospects.
You can also build links back to your website by writing comments on blogs and forums related to your industry.
Website Mistake #3: Your content doesn’t include terms your prospects search.
You can learn what prospects desire by figuring out what terms they search when finding sites similar to yours. This task is easier than you might think.
A great device for finding keywords and phrases to include in your content is the Free Keyword Suggestion Tool from Wordtracker. Simply type in a word or phrase in the search box and, in a matter of seconds, you’ll get an estimate of that term’s daily search volume.
Once you know your words or phrases, place them where people -- and the search engines -- will see them, such as in headers, title tags (see Mistake #4) and the beginning paragraphs of your copy.
Using a keyword tool is also helpful in coming up with article topics (review Mistake #2).
Website Mistake #4: Your title tags don’t match your content.
Title tags are the descriptive text displayed in the blue bar at the top of your browser. Not only are they important for telling visitors what’s on each of your website pages, they’re essential to high search engine placement.
Many times I see only a company name listed in the title tag area. You might get a little traffic using this tactic -- but only if you’re a well-known brand that prospects search. I recommend using terms that describe your product or service.
For example, here’s the current title tag from my home page: Phoenix copywriting and marketing consultant, sales letters, seo website content. (Note: I’ve read conflicting reports on title tag length. This example is probably a little long. However, I’m still testing what length works best.)
Wordtracker’s Free Keyword Suggestion Tool can also help you come up with title tags.
Website Mistake #5: You’re not using your website statistics to your advantage.
If you have a website, you must monitor your visitor statistics. These reports are a treasure chest of traffic gold that can help you determine where your visitors come from and what terms they search to find your website.
If you see visitors using certain terms over and over to land on your website, write more copy that incorporates these words. This technique is one way to build what’s called your "long tail," a term that refers to using 3-, 4- or 5-word phrases that are specific to what you sell.
For example, here are some phrases from the statistics for a debt consolidation site I worked on: "negotiate lower payments with creditors," "contact creditor to lower payment," "secret debt payment plans" and "free debt settlement secrets."
It’s easy to see how quickly you can turn any of these phrases into an article. Once you start monitoring your statistics, you’ll rarely have trouble coming up with topics for new website content.
Need an easy way to keep track of your website traffic? Try Google Analytics. It’s free and only takes a couple of minutes to set up.
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