| Tips and tricks about internet marketing and getting your web site listed near the top of the major search engines ! |
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| Tips and tricks about internet marketing and getting your web site listed near the top of the major search engines ! |
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How to ruin your own business! (Part 1)By Paul Needham -------------------------------------------------------- A major international bank has just released a report outlining the top nine reasons for small business failure. Take heed! And avoid these mistakes. Why Businesses Fail ------------------- 1. Poor choice of location 2. Taking cash from the business too early 3. Not moving with the times 4. Under/over pricing 5. Over-optimism 6. Not pursuing accounts bad debts early enough 7. Health problems of the owner 8. Lack of research 9. Partnership problems
In one way or another, all of these can apply equally as well to online businesses as to traditional bricks-and-mortar operations. In this, the first part of our series, we will investigate how to avoid one of the main reasons for business failure: poor choice of location. Location Location Location -------------------------- The three most important things in retail have always been "location, location, and location". But how does this apply to online businesses? After all, isn't the Internet everywhere (and nowhere)? When we refer to business location, we typically think of the geographical setting of a retail operation. But of course it is not really the land that matters. What matters is what is going on around you. Is there a lot of traffic? Is it the right kind of traffic? Are you located near other shops, where potential buyers will be passing by? Are you in an area that generally attracts your target market? For example, a paint shop might do well if it is located near hardware or other home improvement stores. Fashion shops are often located in shopping malls, where eager buyers roam restlessly from store to store with cash in hand. Another important aspect of location is good access. In the "real world", this might include the availability of parking, so customers can easily stop by without the frustration of trying to find a place to park. Good parking means convenience. Ok, so what on earth does parking and location have to do with online business!? Doing business on the Internet is surprisingly similar to doing business in the "real world". Location is perhaps the most important thing, and poor location can lead to business failure. Just like an off-line business, an online business needs to be "located" where people can find you. Of course, your actual website can be just about anywhere, as long as you have a reliable hosting company. But a good location for your "front door" is absolutely essential. Your front door(s) are where people find you, and enter your website. By "front doors" I am referring to the many text links, banner ads, and email addresses that link people to your online operation. Unlike the off-line world, you can have many front doors to funnel traffic to your website. You should therefore take advantage of free-links sites, and as many Internet directories as you possibly can. Make sure that your website is listed with all the major search engines and directories, and don't forget about the many little ones too. But just like the off-line world, the location of those front doors is extremely important. You want to locate yourself in high traffic areas, and in areas with the right sort of traffic. At the search engines and Internet directories, you want to make sure that you are listed in the appropriate categories, so people who are looking for your type of services can find you. This means taking special care with your meta tags, and using descriptive key words. And of course finding the right location is always about targeting your market. When you advertise, chose locations that are likely to attract your target market. Your website needs to be accessible. The online equivalent of providing good parking for your customers is taking steps to improve the accessibility of your website. Visitors want to be able to stop by quickly and find what they are looking for. So be sure that your website is easy to navigate, and well designed for all types of browsers. Resources: ---------- The Facts About Web Hosting: Before you chose where to host your website, read this free report. http://www.linkmedia.com/inetexch/hosting/virtual.htm
Hotbot can give you an idea of how many websites already link to you. Just type in your URL, and select "links to this URL" from the pull down menu before pressing "search".
SubmitNow! is a tremendous free service, that helps you understand and manage your meta-tags, and promote your website to the major search engines.
Here is a huge list of websites, free-links sites, and Internet directories that will accept a free listing from you: http://www.inetexchange.com/listings.htm
Traffic Boost, and Link-o-Matic are very low cost ways to list your website with hundreds of Internet directories and search engines with very little effort http://www.inetexchange.com/unfair.htm
The Web Promotion Spider is a hot software product that can help improve your ranking in the major search engines. Free trial demo version is available for quick download http://www.inetexchange.com/wps/
Do not let your business fail because of poor choice of location. Make sure that the front doors to your website are well located, in many high traffic areas which tend to attract your target market.
Paul Needham
LinkMedia Communications Inc. |
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