The internet is the hottest place today to earn cash. If you are planning to start an online business, then you first need to know that although the internet will potentially generate a lot of cash for you, it doesn't mean that you will be able to achieve success overnight. You still need to work hard even if it is an online business.
And, if you want to become successful with your new online business, you need to market it on the internet. You have to remember that if you have a new website, no one knows about it and if someone knows it exist, he or she wouldn't care. You have to market your products by marketing your website. It's how it works in the internet.
It is also important to remember that marketing on the internet is different from marketing in the real world. In fact, even the most experienced marketers in the real world have hard time marketing in the internet. It is a new kind of marketing and it will require different strategies to make things sell.
There are free ways to market in the internet. However, these free ways can be a pain. Unless you are a really good writer, it is often very hard to catch people's attention in the internet. If you are just a beginner in the world of internet marketing, then you might want to try out Facebook. Here, marketing is easy, effective, and is very cheap.
Facebook is basically a social networking website where each member will build their own network of friends. Here, people will be able to communicate and have lots of fun with the different applications available. With over 60 million active subscribers and still continuing to grow, you will obviously see that Facebook is definitely the place to market your products or services.
You don't have to worry about traffic as with the amount of people logging in and out each day, you know that you have your clients here. All you need to do is get them to your website.
After becoming a member at Facebook and building your own network of friends and also after completing your profile, the next step is to start using Facebook Ads to market your products or services.
Facebook Ads is basically a pay per click advertising tool offered by Facebook to its members and is used within the Facebook website. The great thing about Facebook Ads is that it will let you decide your target clients according to interests, age, gender and other general information. You will also be the one to decide the daily budget for the advertising.
This way, you will be able to try out your advertising without investing a lot of cash. If you are just beginning to advertise, don't expect to get results right away. It's all a matter of trial and error. Besides, nobody's perfect. You have to find out what your target market wants in an advertising campaign or what will get their attention. With Facebook Ads, you will be able to do this.
So, if you are just starting out with your online business and you want to promote your products, services and your website in the internet, you might want to try marketing in Facebook Ads. Here, marketing is a lot more fun, cheaper and also very effective.
Apr 9, 2010
Pros And Cons Of Google Adwords
Search engines have always been a part of the Web landscape as increasing complexities of retrieving information from the Web make it more difficult for regular users. In the past, the toss up for search supremacy has been pretty neck-and-neck. Now Google is the acknowledged king of the hill.
Google has so far been a rising meteor as dot-com companies go. When the bubble burst on tech stocks, Google has navigated to safer waters with its savvy marketing, shrewd technological advances, and a gamut of user-friendly features that cater to the whim of its consumers.
Most of the revenue of Google comes from solicitations from its clients through the use of Google Adwords. Tied with its Search Engine function, Google Adwords piggybacks on the search results to give the user an opportunity to go to a relevant company website.
Google Adwords can be described as a pay-per-click service that can draw traffic to client websites. Depending on the client's budget, Google can scale the exposure of the ad, leveraging its frequently used search engine to draw interest from consumers.
Advantages of Google Adwords include:
1. Reach. Adwords claims that about 80% of internet users alone and uncountable browsers abroad can be reached through its advertising on the Google Search Engine. This is a powerful advantage when on a budget but need to reach as many people as possible to get the fastest returns.
Google is a well-known household word. Brand retention is high and is one of the first engines to be used online for searches. Furthermore, its affiliation with other major and strategic search engines means that Adwords can also appear on those sites, exponentially increasing exposure.
2. Cost. The cost of using Adwords is, in a word, manageable. Cost is a primary concern for companies, and here Google's strategy makes it easy for the user to control their costs.
Google only charges clients of Adwords for every click on the client website. There is no minimum cost for usage and the client can specify how much their budget is per day between 1 US cent to $100 dollars per click.
3. Timing. Google Adwords places the advertiser in the right place at the right time. The customer is on Google looking for something to answer a question or to find out something about an item. This places the browser in a mood that is open to selling offers. Adverts are where selling decisions are constantly being made.
4. Flexibility. Adwords can get up on the web in as little as 15 minutes. When trends in consumer behavior change, advertisers on Adwords are agile enough to change with them at the turn of a dime. Changing Adwords is free.
Furthermore, Google is present in other geographical locations and languages. Adwords can also specifically target these users depending on the campaign.
5. Tutorials. Adwords has a large array of helps and tutorials available to the starting advertiser. The user can even control the cost of advertising for initial experimentation and eventually kick up the cost once confidence in the engine increases due to actual results. Disadvantages of using Adwords may include:
1. Every click to the company website is a charge on the company's part. Even if the browser makes a purchase or not from the site. Depending on the product, sometimes your visitors can be varied ranging from your competition to researchers, to kids having a ball.
2. Delinquency in payments for Adwords can immediately remove your presence from the Google web engine.
3. No competitor data comparison is shared by Google Adwords. As a company policy, Google does not disclose the performance of other companies that may have the same service or product as yours.
4. Advertising strategies on Google Adwords still have to be well planned to garner and effective response from the consumer.
5. Adwords must be considered on of a number of tools to be used in promoting the company or getting people to go to their site. Alternative methods can include email, instant messenger, the best being by word of mouth, passed on from one user to another.
6. At the minimum, the copy space for Adwords is 70 characters only so choose your words carefully to maximum effect.
Google has so far been a rising meteor as dot-com companies go. When the bubble burst on tech stocks, Google has navigated to safer waters with its savvy marketing, shrewd technological advances, and a gamut of user-friendly features that cater to the whim of its consumers.
Most of the revenue of Google comes from solicitations from its clients through the use of Google Adwords. Tied with its Search Engine function, Google Adwords piggybacks on the search results to give the user an opportunity to go to a relevant company website.
Google Adwords can be described as a pay-per-click service that can draw traffic to client websites. Depending on the client's budget, Google can scale the exposure of the ad, leveraging its frequently used search engine to draw interest from consumers.
Advantages of Google Adwords include:
1. Reach. Adwords claims that about 80% of internet users alone and uncountable browsers abroad can be reached through its advertising on the Google Search Engine. This is a powerful advantage when on a budget but need to reach as many people as possible to get the fastest returns.
Google is a well-known household word. Brand retention is high and is one of the first engines to be used online for searches. Furthermore, its affiliation with other major and strategic search engines means that Adwords can also appear on those sites, exponentially increasing exposure.
2. Cost. The cost of using Adwords is, in a word, manageable. Cost is a primary concern for companies, and here Google's strategy makes it easy for the user to control their costs.
Google only charges clients of Adwords for every click on the client website. There is no minimum cost for usage and the client can specify how much their budget is per day between 1 US cent to $100 dollars per click.
3. Timing. Google Adwords places the advertiser in the right place at the right time. The customer is on Google looking for something to answer a question or to find out something about an item. This places the browser in a mood that is open to selling offers. Adverts are where selling decisions are constantly being made.
4. Flexibility. Adwords can get up on the web in as little as 15 minutes. When trends in consumer behavior change, advertisers on Adwords are agile enough to change with them at the turn of a dime. Changing Adwords is free.
Furthermore, Google is present in other geographical locations and languages. Adwords can also specifically target these users depending on the campaign.
5. Tutorials. Adwords has a large array of helps and tutorials available to the starting advertiser. The user can even control the cost of advertising for initial experimentation and eventually kick up the cost once confidence in the engine increases due to actual results. Disadvantages of using Adwords may include:
1. Every click to the company website is a charge on the company's part. Even if the browser makes a purchase or not from the site. Depending on the product, sometimes your visitors can be varied ranging from your competition to researchers, to kids having a ball.
2. Delinquency in payments for Adwords can immediately remove your presence from the Google web engine.
3. No competitor data comparison is shared by Google Adwords. As a company policy, Google does not disclose the performance of other companies that may have the same service or product as yours.
4. Advertising strategies on Google Adwords still have to be well planned to garner and effective response from the consumer.
5. Adwords must be considered on of a number of tools to be used in promoting the company or getting people to go to their site. Alternative methods can include email, instant messenger, the best being by word of mouth, passed on from one user to another.
6. At the minimum, the copy space for Adwords is 70 characters only so choose your words carefully to maximum effect.
Sitemap Taxonomy - To Classify Web Content
Sitemap taxonomy is a way to classify the tremendous amount of information available on the World Wide Web. Organizing web content is a lot of work that requires manpower and money. But creating sitemap taxonomy is a process that must be done in order to make information readily available to users.
Often times the information is there but users are unable to access it. With the sitemap taxonomy, web content is arranged in such a way that the user will be able to use it effectively. As it is more and more users are flooded with information that is useless to them thus creating frustration.
Impact of sitemap taxonomy to Internet marketing
Sitemap taxonomy can be a big boost to Internet marketing. The whole purpose of being on the web is to get exposure to a wider audience of potential customers. Unfortunately, the overflow of information often makes it impossible for searchers or browsers to find what they need.
Most of the time online users form searches that often turn up useless or non-relevant results. This is not only frustrating for users but also for any company advertised on the web. Users are left guessing the right keyword they need to use in order to get the information they need off the web.
Unfortunately not all users have the patience to keep guessing until they find the right keyword. More often than not, users will give up their search and go on with another search. This can mean lost sales for any company on the web that doesn't have a sitemap taxonomy.
Building a sitemap taxonomy
Many people may think that building sitemap taxonomy is an easy simple process of putting together keywords. Sorry to say, sitemap taxonomy is a demanding task however it does have its rewards. With an effective sitemap taxonomy in place, a website is more likely to get more traffic that would translate into profits.
Working out a sitemap taxonomy is often a trial and error process. It requires using the right terms that users are better acquainted with, in order for them to find their way through the site. At the same time, using the wrong terms may make it impossible for users to find what they need within the site.
There are generally two sets of online users that should benefit from the sitemap taxonomy, browsers and searchers. Browsers often use the sitemap taxonomy to find their way within a site while searchers use online search engines to find the information they need. No matter what type of user is involved, the sitemap taxonomy should address the needs of both users. Enabling either user to find the content they need.
Do-it-yourself sitemap taxonomy
The best candidate for creating the sitemap taxonomy of a site is the company itself or the individual behind the website content. Although hiring a professional to create the sitemap taxonomy of the site is an option, it is best that someone with firsthand knowledge of the website's content do it. There are a number of important aspects to consider before doing the sitemap taxonomy.
Keep in mind that in general the sitemap taxonomy should be extensive not profound. Putting together profound sitemap taxonomy may only make matters worse as the user will have a difficult time finding the subject matter they need. It is also best to use basic terms instead of advertising jargon that can be easily understood by all.
When structuring the sitemap taxonomy, it is important to maintain some exactness at the highest levels. This helps make it easier for users to navigate the site and find the information they need. It is also a good idea to limit the number of items under each level from two to seven subject matters. If not then it is best to combine subject matters for a more efficient sitemap taxonomy.
Take into account that sitemap taxonomy is not an exact science. It requires constant fine-tuning in order to produce an effective sitemap taxonomy. However the entire process will pay off big in the long run as users who are more likely to find what they need are those more likely to spend money.
Often times the information is there but users are unable to access it. With the sitemap taxonomy, web content is arranged in such a way that the user will be able to use it effectively. As it is more and more users are flooded with information that is useless to them thus creating frustration.
Impact of sitemap taxonomy to Internet marketing
Sitemap taxonomy can be a big boost to Internet marketing. The whole purpose of being on the web is to get exposure to a wider audience of potential customers. Unfortunately, the overflow of information often makes it impossible for searchers or browsers to find what they need.
Most of the time online users form searches that often turn up useless or non-relevant results. This is not only frustrating for users but also for any company advertised on the web. Users are left guessing the right keyword they need to use in order to get the information they need off the web.
Unfortunately not all users have the patience to keep guessing until they find the right keyword. More often than not, users will give up their search and go on with another search. This can mean lost sales for any company on the web that doesn't have a sitemap taxonomy.
Building a sitemap taxonomy
Many people may think that building sitemap taxonomy is an easy simple process of putting together keywords. Sorry to say, sitemap taxonomy is a demanding task however it does have its rewards. With an effective sitemap taxonomy in place, a website is more likely to get more traffic that would translate into profits.
Working out a sitemap taxonomy is often a trial and error process. It requires using the right terms that users are better acquainted with, in order for them to find their way through the site. At the same time, using the wrong terms may make it impossible for users to find what they need within the site.
There are generally two sets of online users that should benefit from the sitemap taxonomy, browsers and searchers. Browsers often use the sitemap taxonomy to find their way within a site while searchers use online search engines to find the information they need. No matter what type of user is involved, the sitemap taxonomy should address the needs of both users. Enabling either user to find the content they need.
Do-it-yourself sitemap taxonomy
The best candidate for creating the sitemap taxonomy of a site is the company itself or the individual behind the website content. Although hiring a professional to create the sitemap taxonomy of the site is an option, it is best that someone with firsthand knowledge of the website's content do it. There are a number of important aspects to consider before doing the sitemap taxonomy.
Keep in mind that in general the sitemap taxonomy should be extensive not profound. Putting together profound sitemap taxonomy may only make matters worse as the user will have a difficult time finding the subject matter they need. It is also best to use basic terms instead of advertising jargon that can be easily understood by all.
When structuring the sitemap taxonomy, it is important to maintain some exactness at the highest levels. This helps make it easier for users to navigate the site and find the information they need. It is also a good idea to limit the number of items under each level from two to seven subject matters. If not then it is best to combine subject matters for a more efficient sitemap taxonomy.
Take into account that sitemap taxonomy is not an exact science. It requires constant fine-tuning in order to produce an effective sitemap taxonomy. However the entire process will pay off big in the long run as users who are more likely to find what they need are those more likely to spend money.
What Is Viral Marketing?
When you purchased an item or availed of a service of a certain establishment and are satisfied with what you got, don't you recommend that to a friend? And when you give your recommendation, doesn't your friend buy or avail of it as well?
More often than not, we express our satisfaction with some product or service by telling our friends and relatives about our experience. Some of them will actually try the same product or service that we recommended. Essentially, we have just successfully advertised the product through word-of-mouth without the establishment having to spend a penny on it.
That is the idea behind viral marketing. Viral marketing is an advertising strategy that entices people to pass on a marketing message to their relatives and friends. It is called as such because of its similarity to an epidemic that easily spreads out, with an exponential growth, once an individual gets 'infected.'
How did this marketing phenomenon start?
The concept of viral marketing, which is passing along a message, has been around for a long time now, even for centuries. There was just no specific name for it until 1997 when Steve Jurvetson, a venture capitalist, came up with the term 'viral marketing" to describe Hotmail's marketing practice then.
Hotmail's practice was to append an advertisement of itself on each message that is sent using their service. When a recipient gets interested and clicks on the ad, it will lead to Hotmail's website for him to signup. This will go on and on, and the growth is similar to an exponential curve.
Types of Viral Marketing
There are different ways to apply viral marketing strategy.
- Pass-along. This is the most common type of viral marketing. Web sites that ask their users to tell-a-friend about their products and services is an example of pass-along messaging. However, there is a risk of the message being labeled as 'spam' by email providers. Thus, it is important that the 'from' and 'subject" lines do not contain any word that may be tagged as spam.
- Incentivised viral. This is a marketing technique used by companies in which users are offered rewards when they refer somebody to the company. This becomes more effective when the referred person needs to take action for the reward to be given.
- Undercover. The most difficult viral to spot, undercover marketing sends a viral message that is disguised as just an unusual page or piece of news without obvious link citations.
- Edgy gossip or buzz marketing. This type is most common in the entertainment world. A good example is the spread of different controversies, like getting married or divorced, involving the stars of a movie that is yet to be released. This is like a word-of-mouth advertising for the movie.
Methods of Transmission
Spreading the viral message can be done in different ways.
- Email. This is the most common type, when people forwards messages such as inspirational messages, jokes, funny clips and pictures that advertises a certain product or service.
- Instant Messaging. People who receive links from friends through instant messaging servers, like Yahoo or MSN, are more likely to check it out because of the notion of urgency of the sender.
- Web sites. Most of the articles now published online have a link that says 'Send to a friend.' This is one way to make the article reach a good number of people by just posting it in one site.
- Word of mouth. Of course, this is the traditional way of passing on a message to another person; and most of the time, the most reliable method too.
Though there are several ways on how to do this kind of advertising, there are also barriers to it. One was already mentioned, which is the risk of the message being labeled as 'spam.' Since a lot of companies now are using this method and promoting their products through email, email providers proactively created some sort of filter in their system to separate potential spam emails from the more trusted ones.
Other barriers can be the size and format of the viral message. If the content is a video clip, its reach may be limited because of size limitations of most of the email providers. Media format is also one thing to consider because not all recipients of the message may have the right application to open the file.
But despite of these constraints, businesses are already getting into this style of marketing. Indeed, this technique helps in dramatically increasing revenues by reaching a huge number of the target market without having to spend a big chunk of money for advertisements. Viral marketing will definitely go a long way, especially in the World Wide Web.
More often than not, we express our satisfaction with some product or service by telling our friends and relatives about our experience. Some of them will actually try the same product or service that we recommended. Essentially, we have just successfully advertised the product through word-of-mouth without the establishment having to spend a penny on it.
That is the idea behind viral marketing. Viral marketing is an advertising strategy that entices people to pass on a marketing message to their relatives and friends. It is called as such because of its similarity to an epidemic that easily spreads out, with an exponential growth, once an individual gets 'infected.'
How did this marketing phenomenon start?
The concept of viral marketing, which is passing along a message, has been around for a long time now, even for centuries. There was just no specific name for it until 1997 when Steve Jurvetson, a venture capitalist, came up with the term 'viral marketing" to describe Hotmail's marketing practice then.
Hotmail's practice was to append an advertisement of itself on each message that is sent using their service. When a recipient gets interested and clicks on the ad, it will lead to Hotmail's website for him to signup. This will go on and on, and the growth is similar to an exponential curve.
Types of Viral Marketing
There are different ways to apply viral marketing strategy.
- Pass-along. This is the most common type of viral marketing. Web sites that ask their users to tell-a-friend about their products and services is an example of pass-along messaging. However, there is a risk of the message being labeled as 'spam' by email providers. Thus, it is important that the 'from' and 'subject" lines do not contain any word that may be tagged as spam.
- Incentivised viral. This is a marketing technique used by companies in which users are offered rewards when they refer somebody to the company. This becomes more effective when the referred person needs to take action for the reward to be given.
- Undercover. The most difficult viral to spot, undercover marketing sends a viral message that is disguised as just an unusual page or piece of news without obvious link citations.
- Edgy gossip or buzz marketing. This type is most common in the entertainment world. A good example is the spread of different controversies, like getting married or divorced, involving the stars of a movie that is yet to be released. This is like a word-of-mouth advertising for the movie.
Methods of Transmission
Spreading the viral message can be done in different ways.
- Email. This is the most common type, when people forwards messages such as inspirational messages, jokes, funny clips and pictures that advertises a certain product or service.
- Instant Messaging. People who receive links from friends through instant messaging servers, like Yahoo or MSN, are more likely to check it out because of the notion of urgency of the sender.
- Web sites. Most of the articles now published online have a link that says 'Send to a friend.' This is one way to make the article reach a good number of people by just posting it in one site.
- Word of mouth. Of course, this is the traditional way of passing on a message to another person; and most of the time, the most reliable method too.
Though there are several ways on how to do this kind of advertising, there are also barriers to it. One was already mentioned, which is the risk of the message being labeled as 'spam.' Since a lot of companies now are using this method and promoting their products through email, email providers proactively created some sort of filter in their system to separate potential spam emails from the more trusted ones.
Other barriers can be the size and format of the viral message. If the content is a video clip, its reach may be limited because of size limitations of most of the email providers. Media format is also one thing to consider because not all recipients of the message may have the right application to open the file.
But despite of these constraints, businesses are already getting into this style of marketing. Indeed, this technique helps in dramatically increasing revenues by reaching a huge number of the target market without having to spend a big chunk of money for advertisements. Viral marketing will definitely go a long way, especially in the World Wide Web.
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