Helping You Rock Out Your Site Like A Rockstar!

There are so many blogs out there and a lot of people are unsure of how to take their site to their next step. t is important to keep some type of plan, much like a business. Even if your site only has advertising or even if you are just wanting people to hear what you have to say, you need a plan!

Here are 5 steps to building a business plan for your blog.

Write your site’s focus. This is what you will refer back to when things are not going well. You will put what you want your site to do, who you want to reach, and how you will go about doing it?
Set some long and short term goals. Sites fail because they only have a short term goal. It is important that long term plans are put into place in order to keep your site relevant to your visitors and for the times. The Internet has changed a lot throughout the years and putting goals out will allow your site to last.
Site design and content are important. This must be planned out and executed carefully. It does not need to be perfect, but your site should be planned so you are directing your visitors to what you want them to see. If you are selling something, you need to convey that by having a banner or something to draw your visitors attention, even if you have a blog. As you build your influence and reputation, people will inquire about your special services or products.
Have a monetizing strategy. Whether it is banner advertising, text link ads, paid to blog entries, or just selling your own services, you need to decide what is best for your site and for your visitors. You could literally hurt your own earnings in choosing the wrong services.
Having a marketing strategy for your site. Even if you are on a budget, there are still plenty of ways to get the word out. Making a marketing plan to promote your site is important because frankly, if you never tell people… how will you get traffic? You have to be knowledgeable of where it is best to promote your site- find the niche you best fit in.

These are just a few general steps to building a business plan. This is important for practically all bloggers out there. It can also give you a clue on how much time and money you are willing to spend working on the site and eventually get a return on your investment.

What other steps do you have for newbie bloggers needing a direction with planning their blog’s future?

You may have signed up for a couple different services to monitor your stats like Google Analytics, CrazyEgg, Woopra, and more. However, what can you get from those stats that will allow you to be able to fill the need for your readers, including first time visitors who are looking for something?

If your visitors cannot find what they are looking for, they are going to leave. If you are not tagging and using keywords that accurately fit your articles, you might need to go back with a critical eye and adjust. Remember that people look for things and type in a few words to search. If your article comes up, hopefully it does relate to what they are searching about.

Whether you look this up every week, couple of weeks, or once a month, you will want to know a couple things when looking at your stats:

1. How did your visitors enter your site? Did they come from a search engine or were they referred by another blog? Were they referred from your social network handles?
2. What search terms are coming up about your site? Are they really what you wanted people to look for? If not, as I said, you might need to go through your site and correct the problem.
3. Where are your visitors leaving your site? Sometimes for self-hosted users, you can use your built in server stats. For example, most cPanel users have access to Webalizer. Some outside sites can also tell you where your visitors are leaving from.

Once you have determined the need of your visitors based on the information you got from your stats, you need to put a plan into motion. If one part of your site is receiving attention, obviously you need to emphasize that. However if there is an article you really wanted people to see, you will also need to build a marketing plan around that.

Two features I really recommend on a site are Yet Another Related Post plugin, Featured Post with Thumbnails… at least for WordPress. I know there are components that are equivalent in Joomla and Drupal, but not the name. They are really handy. While you have a post, you can entice your readers to look at other related articles that might delve into more of the topic they had already come to read.

Another great way is to enhance your 404 page. While you might try Joost de Valk’s Practical Guide to 404 Error Pages: What WordPress is Missing, you can also add material to entice visitors to the most popular places on your site besides giving a suggestion of page links.

Last of all, if you do not have what someone is looking for, but it is relevant to your site, create the content – fill that need. This is very simple and even if you were planning on posting about other things, you can always write those articles, and schedule them to post anytime.

The bottom line is that you want to keep your visitors on your website. By solving your visitors need, they will come back and perhaps look for more goodies.

What methods do you use in determining your visitors needs? How have you fulfilled those needs?

No matter how experienced or capable a freelancer you are, you will never get new work if nobody knows you exist. Promoting your freelancing skills online is the best way to attract new clients and can even help you keep the ones you already have. What’s more— online promotion these days isn’t expensive.

Having a fantastic website showcasing your freelance services is definitely the first step. But that’s only part of the battle won. You still have to get people to view your site, and once they’re there, they still need to actually make use of your services.

Getting people to know what services you offer is a lot easier than you might think. Effectively reaching out to new clients online involves both diligent homework and research – and can even demand an initial outlay of cash. But when you look at your bank balance at the end of the month, you’ll realize that the dividends are worth it.

Ways to Promote Yourself Online

Here are some simple ways to promote yourself and your freelance business that cost almost nothing. Some ideas are so simple you’ll be surprised that you didn’t think of them yourself!

Build a great website. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. An easy rule to follow is that your website must clearly explain your freelance business in fewer than 10 seconds. Keep it simple, and make it visually compelling as well as a good read.

Write your own blog. Make it informative and interesting, but also make it personal—use this opportunity to give your product a personality! Content should be frequently updated (at least once every two weeks) and relevant to your own freelance business to attract potential clients. Create content other than text for your blog as well. Incorporate podcasts or YouTube clips that will distinguish your freelance business from the rest. Sometimes it’s that little personal touch that can really make a difference.

Update your Twitter and LinkedIn profile regularly. Make sure your Twitter profile says all the important things about your freelance business, and ensure that your LinkedIn profile is sprinkled with industry-relevant keywords. Get in some testimonials and recommendations from friends, too.

Advertise yourself for free by offering content related to your business to other sites. Target businesses in a related field that would have a genuine interest in the types of content you can offer. For example, if you are a freelance writer, create an article about writing tips and link your bio to your site. Offer your article to writing communities.

Make sure every email you send goes out with this a signature that includes a link to your website.

Optimize your site for search engines by using SEO best practices. You can read about SEO online or hire someone to help you.

Put yourself on Yahoo Local and other similar directories that offer free listings, then ask satisfied customers or partners to recommend you.

Syndicate your content. Take advantage of organizations that will syndicate your content for free, such as ISnare and EZineArticles. Make sure your bio discusses your freelance business, and that your URL is always included.

Post in business directories that promote services similar to yours – just do an online search to find out what’s on offer. Most of them are free.

Try PPC – or Pay per Click Advertising. This costs money, but if executed correctly, it can drive many qualified visitors to your site.

Offer to give a presentation be a (free) guest speaker at a convention or marketing meeting. Order business cards from an online printing company to pass out after your presentation.

Getting your freelance business off the ground doesn’t have to be difficult, but creating a niche for yourself in today’s competitive market can take a lot of forethought, time and effort.

Freelancers who know how to effectively and affordably promote their business online are well on their way to creating a successful niche for their own freelance business. These ideas are just some ways you can promote yourself without breaking the bank – give them a try!

The web has come a LONG way. I am pretty sure in that first sentence alone, all of you can agree and maybe you have heard something similar said from other people. The problem is that there are still a lot of trends floating around that people still want to stick to. However, for branding purposes, trendy web design is not always for you.

When you started your own website, you had something in mind. Maybe it was the colors? Maybe it was a vision for the logo? Maybe it was the format of the website itself? Many of us are influenced by other websites that are doing well, but many have a site design that has become the trend.

Their site is successful so if you have a similar format, you might be successful too… that is probably what you are thinking? However, where is your individuality? What makes you different from that person? Obviously, you want to have some influence and authority, but not be confused with sites you were inspired to emulate.

Here are a few tips to step away from having a trendy web site design.

• Brainstorm what you believe is really necessary for your website.
• If you prefer a general format of a trendy website, think of ways in designing it to make it your own.
• Try not to emulate another company’s or individuals logo. You want to be memorable, so be unique.
• Be on top of your niche market. Research all sites in your market and see what other website elements are successful. Try those and see how they work for you.

Please note when I say website elements, or site elements, I mean things like featured content sliders, newsletter subscription modules, marketing funnels, how posts are formatted design-wise, and more.

So, in conclusion, whether you are putting together a website for the first time or doing a revamp, think about how you can be unique and memorable, not just another trendy looking website.

How have you broken away from trendy design? What advise do you have for others who may still be struggling with branding their websites to reflect themselves or their business?

The social media or social networks are becoming more popular than expected. The more people are involving themselves into the social networks to share their ideas, meeting far away friends, to get the business ideas etc. The famous social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, YouTube, LinkedIn are seeing more people nowadays. Apparently for the business professionals the social networks or social media is a boon to promote their business to the world. But the marketing can be very difficult. If you know the social media usage and if you are intelligent enough and using simple social media marketing tricks and tips then it will be very easy.

1. The first and foremost thing in local search engine marketing is to know the social networks very well to promote your business. Every social network has unique in its operation. First you have to know the operation, in and out of the social network to promote your business quite smoothly. You should be very clever and get used to social media to pursue your marketing efforts better.
2. The second step is to know the audience or people who are interested in the business like yours. The majority of the social media users are between the age group of 18 to 40. So, if your business is for some age group then don’t forget to appeal.
3. After knowing these two steps you must look at the possible dangers to your social media campaign. Don’t simply put the videos and comments about your content which shows nothing about your website content because there is a chance to lose the credibility of your site and then lose your potential customers or users of your website.
4. Don’t expect too much from your online marketing ideas. Some will work for you and some will not. Strategize your online efforts according to your marketing needs.

Hiring third parties to market your site online is a big choice. I put together sort of an introduction guide to using an internet marketing agency for your business or blog.

Before going into the guide, I want to cover what an internet marketer does. For those who have been around the block in promoting and analyzing their sites, this is easy to figure out. However, internet marketers help you improve your site, where it be for:

• Search Engine Optimization
• Increasing Monetizing
• Increasing Traffic
• Web Site Design (not all companies do, but there are a lot that do offer this service)
• Social Media Marketing

They help webmasters and overall website owners to increase their return on investment (ROI.)

Before You Hire An Internet Marketer

However, before you hire any internet marketer, you have to know what you are in for and have an idea of what you want. A lot of new site owners usually create a site on whim and take a lot of time to grow into the site they eventually intended to be. Years ago, articles on blogging and having an online business lacked vital information. This hindered a lot of webmasters. Now, there are many articles available, especially a lot that lead people astray from the information they should be getting.

Thankfully there are actual businesses focused on helping website owners.

Now That You Know What You Want To Do With Your Site

When you know what you want, you need to take a look at what you have so far and make a list. This list can include:

• Is your site’s focus clear?
• What is your target audience?
• What is your site traffic?
• Are you happy with your current site’s look?
• Where do you want your site to be in a month, half a year, or a year traffic-wise? What goals do you have for your website?
• What keywords are you wanting to optimize for?
• Are you using any monetization methods like text link ads, affiliate marketing, banner ads, or others?
• Do you have social network handles tied to your website? What do you do with those social network accounts?
• Do you need a better lead generation form?
• Do you have some type of email marketing hooked up with your site?

Depending on your site, you may have many more questions. However, you need to be able to answer these questions. Even if you lack some of these important elements, you have to be aware that an internet marketer may look into these so they can help you with your site.

What To Expect From an Internet Marketing Agency

Internet marketing consultants will look at your site’s traffic, keywords, the design, your social network handles – just about anything you currently have and customize a plan specifically to improve your site. Depending on your budget, they can help. Any internet marketing agency out there will offer flexible plans to increase your site’s traffic, search-ability, improve your website’s engaging with visitors or clients, and more.

Can Internet Marketing Produce Instantaneous Results

If you are wanting to get rich quick – no. Internet Marketers, especially ones that are honest, have past successes with other clients, and are knowledgeable will help to build a foundation that you can either have them maintain from time to time or take up once you have learned more about internet marketing.

If you are promised quick results, you hired the wrong one. You should though at least see gradual results, even within soon as a week depending on what type of customized plan you invested in.

Have you used an internet marketing agency for your website?

You might have a great site or one that businesses out there are looking to buy text links on. It could be your traffic, and it could be that your site fits the niche they are looking for. Selling links on your site can be tricky, especially if you are selling “in house” links (meaning you are doing this yourself instead of through third party places like Adbrite or Text Link Ads or others out there.

It is important to be smart about how you sell your links. A lot of people may want to buy spaces for site wide links or maybe even within some of your articles.

Set Your Price

You will be given offers and if your site is doing decent on traffic, sometimes even bundled link packages may not be the best price if you allow the buyer to make the choice. In the same breath, be fair and do not overcharge. If you are normally selling banner ad spaces or text links through third party sources, make sure to try to stay consistent with those prices.

Never Agree to Permanently Place A Link For However Long Your Site Exists

You should NEVER agree to sell links and allow them to remain on your site permanently. You are tying up your site with links and if your site’s traffic increases quite well over the span of a year, you should already be re-assessing the prices of both banner ads and text advertising. Offer packages in increments of 1 month, 3 months, or 6 months. If the client is good, maybe a year, but make that decision at your own discretion.

Some of the link buyers love to try to get in permanent link placement and in the end its a better deal for them when your site does well. Do not be fooled. They are eager to quick pay, and that may be enticing, but you need to think about it long term and not just in the now.

Make Sure You Have A Linking Policy In Place

If you prefer to offer Sponsored Links in posts, tell your buyer that. Create a special place that tells people it is a sponsored link and you can allow the client to put together a sentence with a keyword to help them.

If you do not have site wide ads and have specific pages or templates set for different ads, let the buyer know.

The whole point is to make sure you put in a policy that will not make your site look so filled with links and look spammy to your visitors.

Only Accept Relevant Ads To Your Site

If you accept ads that have nothing to do with your site, you might be opening up your site to more opportunities to spam. In doing this, you are basically not even concerned with your visitors and only with making money.

While making money on your site is great, if you are trying to establish more authority in your niche, your visitors would probably appreciate seeing ads that have greatly benefited your site. For example, for blogs about blogging, you might want to put up ads about SEO services or even Premium Themes for blogs. Another example would be for gaming sites to have ads about games, both online and for different types of gaming consoles out there.

These are merely a few suggestions on how to smartly sell text links on your site.

If you have any other suggestions, feel free to comment and share them.

Certainly I was a bit baffled at first when I learned that people are paying for testimonials on Fiverr (just look up the search for the word testimonial at Fiverr) and even freelancer sites.

It might be a quick buck and definitely a boost to any business needing to build their reputation in a jiffy, but is this really an ethical practice? Normally testimonials are suppose to be something given by already established clients who have tried a business’s product or service. It is done with honesty, and may not always be positive.

Now I am sure that there are places out there that have made up some testimonials. That is an old frowned upon practice. If a business is paying for testimonials, is it any different?

Some of the services offered on sites like Fiverr are to put together a video testimonial. Now, after having seen a few sites use video testimonials, I was able to easily point out which were fake testimonials and which were surprisingly good at fooling me that the customer feedback was real.

Some of the things I noticed in fake video testimonials were:

• Very vague on service offered.
• Did not seem to be sure on what they were filming a testimonial for.
• Very short film – under 1 minute.

Ones that were very convincing were longer than a minute and detailed enough that clued me in that they may have really been a customer.

I am not going to write an article on how to make a video testimonial, let alone a written one, sound convincing. I do not support such a practice. I can barely stomach some of the opportunities out there to leave fake comments on blogs for money.

However, I came across this and thought I would share it with my readers and let you decide for yourselves if you think it is wrong and how you would view businesses that paid for testimonials. Would you do business with them?

If you have a business and asked for video testimonials in particular, would you pay for them? Or would you ask for volunteered testimonials?