Posts Tagged south africa
Paying For Clicks – Still The Fastest Way To Instant Web Traffic
There are so many success stories you will hear about businesses making it good on the internet. The troubling thing is that for every success story, there is probably the story of a hundred failures. Many have unsuccessfully launched a business enterprise that is internet based but only a handful shall succeed.
Is this through luck? That is even more remote. It takes good business sense and a lot of help and team effort. Most importantly, it is the eagerness to succeed and the determination to learn and the willingness to invest in a lot of hard work and some money.
The Very Basic
Like Neo, traffic is “The One”. Without traffic, all your effort would just go to waste. Every business needs customers, without them you wouldn’t have anyone to sell your products to. On the internet, website traffic is like walk in customers in the real world. It is a matter of simple mathematics, the more people you get to your site, the more sales you are likely to make.
But like any business that’s in every corner building or in the mall, not everyone that goes in will buy, but the greater of number that do come in to browse your merchandise, the greater number of people that will buy your products. It is a simple and known fact.
But, how do you get traffic, traffic large enough that could make a small percentage of eventual buyers enough to make a good profit. Many big companies generate traffic of tens of thousands a day and a measly ten to fifteen percent actually buys, but that small percentage is enough to provide them with good business.
Many of these success stories, did it the easy way, by paying for their traffic. You may have heard this one before, but you have to spend money to make money. Advertising is the key. The more people that knows that your site exists; the more people would of course go to your site, that’s common sense.
There are many ways of generating free traffic, but the truth is that they will not achieve anything like the same results as paid advertising. These paid advertisements include advertising schemes by Google and Yahoo.
The Value of Searches
The search engines are the easiest and fastest medium for finding what a person needs on the internet. Search engines have been very popular because they provide a vital service to many people. They are free and easy to use. With this popularity, they get many visitors and clicks and they are the most commonly visited sites on the internet today. It is easy to understand why so many companies would pay to advertise with these search engines.
Search engines are the number 1 source of information to millions of people that use them each day. They provide targeted links to possible sites that may be of interest to the searcher. If your site’s link pops up in the high rankings of the search results pages, you have a great chance that visitors will go to your site. While search engine optimization is a cheaper and low cost way to get your site a high rank, paying for advertisements will ensure that you will be on the top ranks and by that I mean those pop up ads on the right hand side bar in the search engines.
When you pay for your advertisements, it is like paying for your traffic. You may think this not to be such a good idea, but the truth is that the payoffs could be astounding. When you pay for your traffic, you are guaranteed of a consistent traffic flow to your site. You will hardly have a dry day, every day will result in sales.
Paying for your Traffic
Usually, you will be charged with the number of hits a link gets when your ads is clicked, this is called pay per click. With some of the smaller search eniges, you will be charged for the number of times your ad appears. It is imperative that you have good keyword content in your ad. There are many tools that aid you in using the right keyword for the right moment.
All the money you spent in paying for your traffic will not be for naught. You will get an impressive boost in traffic which will also result to a great boost in your sales figures. Paying for your traffic would be a really good idea and you will get all the benefits it has to offer.
Setting up a pay per click campaign is in reality not all that easy and many people will give up before even trying, because of the fact that it can be so complicated. Fortunately many web design companies can assist you with your website promotion and it is therefore important that you make use of the services of a full service web design company from the start, one that will not only help you set up a search engine friendly website, but also one that can help you with your pay per click advertising campaigns.
While pay per click is the fastest way to get traffic to your website, you could lose a bundle if you are not careful. For this reason you have to make sure that your web design company is well-versed in pay per click campaigns, so that you will actually make money and not just lose money.
Rian Schoeman
SilverFox Web Design
Important Considerations For Article Marketing
The importance of articles in today’s websites and internet based companies are immeasurable. They dictate a lot in the success and the drive of traffic into one’s site. It has become a key element in making a site work and earning a profit. A website operator and owner must have the good sense to include articles in his or her site that will work for them and earn them the many benefits articles can give to their site.
Articles have been known to be the driving force in driving traffic to a website. Articles are a factor in giving site high rankings in search result pages. The higher a site ranks the bigger slice of the traffic flow pie he gets. With a large amount of traffic, there are more profits and more potential for other income generating streams as well.
But, it is not just about stuffing your site with articles; they have certain requirements as well. These requirements must be met to obtain the maximum benefits an article will provide for your site. A well written article will catch the eyes and interest of your customers and keep them coming back for more. They would also be able to recommend your site to others.
Here are some tips to help you and assist you in making your articles. Below you will read about four things all articles must have to make them successful and helpful in making your site a profit earning and traffic overflowing site.
- Keywords and Keyword Phrases.
An article must always be centered on the keywords and keyword phrases. As each website visitor goes to a site, there are those who are not merely browsing but actually looking for a specific something. When this happens, a searcher usually goes to a search engine and types in the keywords they are looking for (e.g. Web Design, Meningitis, Tax Lawyer etc.). It could be anything they want.
The Important thing is that you have an article that has the keywords that are related to your site. For example, if you maintain an auto parts site, you must have articles about cars and their parts. There are many tools on the internet that provide assistance in helping a webmaster out in determining what keywords and keyword phrases are mostly sought out. You can use these tools to determine what keywords to use and write about.
- Keyword Density
Now that you have your keywords and keyword phrases, you must use them fully. An article must have good keyword density for a search engine to “feel” its presence. Articles should at least have ten to fifteen percent of keyword density in their content for search engines to rank a site high in their search results. Getting a high rank is what articles do best for a site. If your keyword is web design, then the phrase should appear in the website a few times. The 10 to 15% rule is really only a guideline, because things such as keyword stuffing (adding too many of the same keywords) can actually cause your website to dwindle in search engine rankings. A good search engine such as Google actually also uses keyword relevance to see if the keyword is relevant to the rests of the article’s content. If not, you can have as many keywords as you like, but you won’t achieve much success with them.
- Good Article Content
Like what is stated above, you cannot just riddle an article with keywords. They must also be regarded as good reading material. Articles must be able to entertain people as well as provide good information and help for their needs. Articles should be written well with correct spelling and good grammar. If you want people to trust you, make your work good and well thought out.
People respond well to figures, facts and statistics. Try to get great information and as many facts as you can. A good and well written article will boost your reputation as an expert in your chosen field or topic. As more people believe in you, they will be able to trust you and your products.
- Linking Articles
And another important thing to remember. If you are going to submit articles to ezines and/or contribute your articles to newsletters and other sites, DON’T ever forget to include a link to your site. A little resource box with a brief description of your site and you should always be placed right after your articles that you have submitted. If people like your articles, they will most likely click on the link directing them to your site.
Rian Schoeman
SilverFox Web Design
Web 2.0 – Is Your Web Designer Doing It?
We’ve all heard of web 2.0. If you have not, you have been missing out on the biggest phenomenon to have hit the internet since, well the internet!
Web 2.0 is the collective name for the new social media websites that have become so popular on the internet and where the new internet billionaires are being made. You may have heard of MySpace, YouTube, FaceBook and Twitter. If you have, you have heard of web 2.0. All of the above sites are social media sites, where people that share common interests can get together and share their interest.
For you as an internet marketer or web design firm, you need to be right at the forefront of using this phenomenon to your advantage. Where can you come across an easier source of contacts than on one of these sites? Think about, all the work has been done for you. Where as formerly you had to go out and look for forums where people shared interests you know have 3 or 4 points of contact where you can find as much traffic as possible.
All you have to do is to go to any of these sites, go the search function and type in the term you are interested in. If it is web design, for example, you will find tons of people and even groups with tons of people that share your common interest. All you have to do is to join the group or follow certain people and start sharing with them.
Before you know it, you will be part of a group of people with whom you can interact and share information. Later you can start promoting your products and market it to those people or get them to become your affiliates.
If you are making use of a web design company to do your website promotion and traffic generation for you, you need to ask them if they are making use of web 2.0 to get your message out there. If they are not, you are losing out, so make sure you talk to them and get the most out of what the internet has to offer today.
Rian Schoeman
SilverFox Web Design
7 Ways To Make Money Using Nothing More Than Your List
An opt-in list can be quite crucial to any site or internet based company. Even for a small venture such as a niche profit site an opt-in list can make a world of difference and also generate some extra income for your pocket. Rarely would you see an e-commerce site, big or small, that is without an opt-in list.
An opt-in list allows for a company to market their wares and site via e-mail. With an opt-in list, a site and a subscriber consent to sending and receiving a newsletter from your company. Through this, you can keep your subscribers abreast of what is currently available on your site as well as whatever is coming out.
And because there is mutual consent between the two parties, any mail sent to the list is not considered as spam. There is a great number of successfully read promotional materials such as catalogs, newsletters and such that are sent because the subscribers themselves have signed up for them, meaning, they do want to be sent those items.
Building a list is crucial, only a small percentage actually subscribes for an opt-in list. Many people find promotional mails annoying but if you provide a good newsletter or promotional material, you will see your list build up and grow. You can also achieve this by having good content on your site. If people like what they see and read on your site, then they surely would want more. Newsletters would be a way to attract them back to your site – a little teaser or appetizer if you will.
But other than marketing your wares and your services, an opt-in list can also be used to earn extra profit. Not all lists can be used though. It would be good to first build a successful list with a huge number of subscribers. The more subscribers you have, the more money you stand to make. Here are seven ways to make money using nothing more than your list.
1) Place advertisements. There are many corporations who will be willing to pay to put their banners and ads on a list with many subscribers. Selling or renting out lists is not a good idea so rather than doing that, many companies would just rather place ads with lists that have a huge subscriber base. Your newsletter could be placed with many ads and each one spells money. A well designed ad, done by an experienced web design firm, will actually add to the visual appeal of your newsletter and may even attract even more subscribers.
2) Have affiliations with other companies that have at least a semblance or relation to what your site is about. Here other companies will provide links and brief descriptions of what products and services they offer. With every click made on the link that directs or leads a subscriber from your list to their site, the company will pay you. This is called P4P or pay for performance.
3) Make deals with other companies by asking for a small percentage of sales done through your list. With every sale done by customers that have come from your list and have gone there because of your newsletter, the other company will pay you a small percentage of your sales. The more people who buy from them, the more money you will make.
4) You may also get products from other sites on a consignment basis and sell them to your list via your newsletter. Place descriptions, articles and photos of the product in your newsletter. There will be those who will buy from you and when that happens, you can order the product from the other site and sell it to your buyer.
5) Sell e-books or a compilation of your articles on your list. Manuals and how-to articles are in great demand. Many people will be willing to shell out money to gain knowledge about a certain topic and subject. With your existing list trusting your expertise in that area, an e-book could be offered and sold or used as an incentive.
6) Create a network out of your list. Get people to invite more people to view your site and subscribe to your list. The larger your list, the more people will be able to click on your links and affiliate links as well as make your advertisement rates higher.
7) Subscribers are willing to pay for information if they know that it can be trusted and relied upon. Use your list to get more and more people to subscribe to you as well as browse your site. Lastly, you can use your list to earn money by making them your partners. Your list will be the bloodline of your growth and increase.
Some of these techniques may seem difficult to implement but there is lots of list building software and bulk email companies out there that could assist you. Of course you can always employ a reputable web design company to design your newsletter template for you and to create your opt in list for you, with all the bells and whistles attached.
Some internet marketers make huge profits with their opt-in lists, so don’t ignore your list, it is literally the life blood of your organization.
Rian Schoeman
SilverFox Web Design.
Getting A Website? – Don’t Just Do It, Plan, Plan, Plan!
For many people or businesses the thinking around websites goes like this: “Okay, so now I have a business, what’s next, hmm, maybe I need a website”. The next thing you know they are either going out there trying to design their own or searching Google for Web Design firms.
What’s wrong with this natural next step you may ask? Well, it is simply that the person in the example above did not think through their website. Often they will start designing the website or hiring the Web Design firm and give them a mandate of “please design a website for us”.
When hiring a web designer, of course, your chances are much improved of getting a properly designed an thought out website than going at it yourself, but you do get web designers that are just in it for a quick buck and that will quickly put together, even a great-looking website, but with very little substance. Such a site is just as good as not having a site at all.
So, what should you do when you’re considering a website? Below follows some guidelines. They are not the be-all and end-all of web design, because there is so much more involved in designing an effective website, but they will at least provide you with some direction as a person who may not be an expert in web design.
1. Do I even need a website?
Yes, that’s right, while a website can be a huge asset, not all types of businesses need one or are geared for one. So for example, a roadside exhaust repair service that is a totally informal business will not need a website, because of the nature of the business and the cost involved in getting and maintaining a website.
2. What type of business do I have?
This is a very important question to ask yourself and it involves a number of sub-questions as well. So for example, you need to look at your clientele – what type of customer do you cater for, are they advanced, educated people or lower end consumers? Are they likely to browse the web, looking for the best deal or to find a service such as yours closest to home?
3. What type of product or service do you offer?
Is it a physical product or an electronic product, or a service? For electronic products you undoubtedly need a website, but for certain physical products your chances of needing a website are less than for certain services for example.
4. When you’ve established who your potential clients are and what type of business you have, it is time to think of the site content.
What is it that you want to convey to these customers? People surfing the web are looking for information primarily. It could be information on a topic, or information on a product or service. So the first focus of any website should be to provide information and not just generic information, but proper, valuable information on the topic the browser is looking for.
First provide the information and then provide the pitch or make sure that you pitch is included in the information in such a way so as not to make it seem forced, but natural.
When you’ve established what information it is that your clients are looking for, now you can start looking at the contents of your website. While most websites follow a basic formula, having tabs such as Home, About, Products / Services and Contact, your site might not benefit from such a generic structure.
To take an example, some of the most successful sales websites are one page sites. They simply contain a sales letter with lots of valuable information about the product or service and a link to the order page. If your product or service is suited to such a website then you should without a doubt follow this recipe and break away from convention.
Some websites may have the aim of providing information first and foremost and have sales only as a secondary goal. If this is your type of website, then a sales letter format will obviously not benefit you. For you, a website structured in such a way as to be more of an article archive might be the solution.
5. When in doubt, consult a Web Design firm.
I have touched on this above, but since there is so much involved in building a website, sometimes it makes more sense to hire an expert. In the end a proper web designer can save you lots of time, money and frustration.
Make sure that you hire a reputable web design firm. Don’t assume that because someone has a top Google ranking they are the best or have a good reputation. Ask to see examples of their work so that you can see if their style matches yours. Ask for some references and actually phone these references to find out if they were satisfied with the service they got.
If they have a portfolio page, you can click on examples of these websites and go the contact information to get more, independent references.
Look for a company that will supply you with a proper web design plan and make sure you agree on all aspects of the scope of the project. Look for a firm that will guarantee satisfaction.
While web design and designing a proper website is a vast and complex field, if you keep in mind some of the above hints and tips you may find that you are more likely to get what you need, instead of a pretty website without much substance that you want.
Rian Schoeman
How To Build A List Of Eager Subscribers
Every online business provides great service to generate satisfaction among their customers. As each and every customer receives satisfaction over their products or the services they get, there is a great chance that they will become a return customer and buy again. Better yet, they will recommend you to other people that could generate more business for you and your site.
As more traffic is driven to your site, you can entice many of them to subscribe to your mailing list or opt-in list. This is a list where in website visitors agree to be sent promotional materials such as newsletters, catalogs and such that could keep them updated about your site or the niche of your site. These promotional materials are sent via e-mail to the members of the list in different time intervals.
When using e-mail as the media of your marketing and advertisements, you eliminate the need for high costs. Email is free and if you can manage to make your own promotional advertisements you can also save a bundle there. With an opt-in subscribers list, you are pretty sure that what you are sending out is received, viewed and read by the subscribers and not simply being deleted. They have signed up for service and have consented in receiving it.
This means that there are constant reminders to your subscribers about all your products, new products and services as well as any promotions and special deals you are having. There is also the chance that they can be forwarded to other potential customers as they tell their friends and families about you and your site.
Of course you should be also aware that a subscriber may unsubscribe when they feel that they are not getting what they want or expected. Make sure that they are satisfied with your opt-in marketing strategies and keep them excited in receiving your newsletters and catalogs. Here are some tips that can help you build a list of eager subscribers.
Make your promotional materials interesting and fun. Try to use a little creativity but not too over artsy. Build around what your product or service is about. For example; if you are selling car parts, put some pictures of what is new in the auto parts world, a new wing door possibly that can fit any car and make it look like a Lamborghini.
Try to research what people are looking for, these way, you stay one step ahead of them all the time and you will be their bearer of new tidings. They will be eager to receive what you are sending them because they new you always have fresh and new things to share with them.
Write good articles that can be very informational but light at the same time. If your subscribers enjoy your articles, they will go to your site by clicking the links that you will be putting on your newsletter to read some more. You can provide articles that can connect to many people. Be diverse in your articles. Put something humorous, then put something informational, then put something that has both.
Are you wary about this because you don’t like writing? No problem, there are many professional and experienced article writers that can do the job for you for minimal fees. They know what they are doing and can provide the need that you have for your newsletters, the money that you pay for your articles are going to be met by the many sign-ups and the potential profit from the sales that you will get.
Create and send an E-book to your customers about anything that is related to your business or site. Use your knowledge and expertise in the field you have chosen to help other people who are similarly interested. Offer this e-book for free. You can write about anything informational and helpful to your subscribers. For example; you can do manuals and guides in so many things. This e-book could be used as a reference for many people.
Share this e-book with everyone, even other sites; just make sure that they don’t change the links in the e-book that will lead people to your site. If you want, you can always get some people to write it for you just like your articles. Your investment once again will be covered by the great marketing this will generate.
Add e-coupons in your newsletters that will help them avail to special discounts. Put a control number in your e-coupon so that they can only be used once. When people get discounts that can be found in your newsletters, they will be eager to receive your newsletter in anticipation of what you are promoting next.
If your subscribers can get benefits from your newsletters, they will be very eager to receive them. Just don’t flood your mailing list with mails so that you don’t annoy your subscribers.
Rian Schoeman
3 Quick And Easy Ways To Build A Profitable Opt-In List
You finally realize that you need a good opt-in list. After reading countless articles and sought expert advices and have read many success stories of people creating a small fortune with opt-in lists you finally decide to have one of your own. Then it happens, you think you have known everything there is to know about opt-in lists and have followed their advices to the T and you still weren’t able to make a profit.
In fact, you may be losing money. You maybe hiring writers to help you out, or there are some expenses incurred, even if you have a big list, but only a very small percentage actually buys from you, your still losing profit. You’ll realize that after a few months when you see your statistics and sales figures.
So what could have gone wrong? Why have others succeeded where you have failed? The most common mistake is that you dived straight right in. You chose a topic where you think could be quite popular and would earn you money. This just not the case. Just because you wrote people from the list doesn’t mean they are going to buy instantly.
Here I will offer more advice, for those who have started an opt-in list and have failed, you can rejuvenate your failed venture. For those who are starting, here are three quick and easy ways to build a profitable opt-in list.
1) Get your customers to trust you and your products first. Just launching your opt-in list would not make you an expert and a believable seller. Put many articles first before you start an opt-in list. Write about the topic you know and have started and used for your site. Try to put forums first to gain knowledge about your customers about their wants and needs and target those wants and needs.
Join forums from other sites as well. Provide expert advices and recommendations. When you feel that people trust you already, you will be able to start your own opt-in list. You can build a base as well with other forum users. You can ask them to join your list. Friends are always good customers. Put up a link to your site so that they may be able to see what you’re business is all about.
The certain truth is, the money will only come in when the consumers and subscribers believe and trust in you. They want a product or service that could be a good exchange for their money. People are not going to buy something out of your recommendation if they don’t know you.
2) Find a product or service that people want and need. Although it may not be your forte, if you provide a service and product that you have researched and learned about well, you can carry it on forward. Invest your time, effort and money that you could sell as well as the buyers or subscribers of your opt-in list can use.
While it is true that it is best to sell something that you have interest in, there are not many people who have the same interest as you if you decide to sell something that is not entirely popular or profitable. Do your research well and you would see the profits come in. Also provide your subscribers with promotional material that they could actually use and spread around.
3) Make friends with other opt-in list users. This is basically beneficial especially if it is someone who has already launched a successful opt-in list. These are people that have the experience in this venture and experience is still the best teacher. While there are many articles available for you in the internet to use, there is nothing like getting a first hand account from someone you trust.
Experienced opt-in list users will be able to tell you what to do and what not to do because they have gone through it. While different situations occur for different people, the general concept can still be very helpful. There are many things to avoid and these people will be able to tell you which ones.
Building a profitable opt-in list don’t just happen overnight. There are many preparations and effort to do. Opt-in lists are built from scratch, as your list grows, you should also maintain the quality of your list. Keep it organized and manageable. Get or hire help if need be, just make sure that your subscribers are happy and satisfied and they will be willing to buy from you.
Best Regards
Rian Schoeman
How To Generate Web Traffic Using Only Free Methods
Putting up a company would of course require a lot of things, to get straight to the point, you need a capital. To make money requires money as well. But of course, with the versatility the internet offers, there are many ways you could find that could help optimize the potential of your site or business in generating traffic.
While there are ways to jumpstart your traffic flows, many sites don’t have the resources that others have to generate more traffic for your site. Well, you don’t have to spend a cent; all you need is the proper mindset and a lot of eagerness. You also must have the drive and perseverance to do hard work and research to generate more traffic for your site.
How sweet it is to have more traffic for your site without spending a single cent. Now it’s a sure thing that many sites have articles that offer tips and guidelines in how to generate traffic using only free methods. Because it is possible, you don’t need to speed a single cent, it may take time, to say honestly, I’m not going to beat around the bush with you. You get better chances by paying for your advertisements, but at least you get a fighting chance with some of these free methods I’m about to tell you.
Take advantage of online forums and online communities. The great thing about forums and online communities is that you can target a certain group that fits the certain demographic that you are looking for. You can discuss about lots of things about the niche that you represent or offer. Another great advantage is that you know what you are getting into and you will be prepared.
With online communities and forums you can build a reputation for your company. Show them what you are made of and wow them with your range of expertise about the subject, with that you can build a reputation and build trust with the people in your expertise and knowledge.
You can also make use of newsletters. Provide people with a catalog of your products and interesting and entertaining articles. If you make it really interesting and entertaining, more people will sign up for your newsletter and recommend it to other people. The more people who signs up for your newsletter, the more people there will be that will go to your site increasing your traffic.
Another great idea is trading links with other sites. You don’t have to spend a cent. All you have to do is reach an agreement with another webmaster. With exchanging links, the efforts both sites do will benefit both sites. All traffic that goes to the site could potentially click on the link of your site and visit your site as well. This works well especially when both sites feature the same niche.
Write articles that could pique the attention of people that have interest in your product. Try writing articles that will provide tips and guides to other aficionados. Writing articles that provide good service and knowledge to other people would provide the necessary mileage your traffic flow needs.
Many sites offer free submission and posting of your articles. When people find interest in your articles they have a good chance of following the track by finding out where the article originated. Include a link or a brief description of your company with the article and there’s a great probability that they will go to your site.
Write good content for your site. Many search engines track down the keywords and keyword phrases your site uses and how they are used. It is not a requirement that a content should be done by a professional content writer. You could do your on but you have to make content for your site that is entertaining as well as informational. It should provide certain requirements as well as great quality.
Generally, internet users use search engines to find what they are looking for. Search engines in return use keyword searching in aiding their search results. With the right keywords, you could get high rankings in search engine results without the costs.
All of these methods and more will drive more traffic to your site for free. All it takes is a bit of effort and extended man hours. Learn all you can about the methods depicted here and you will soon have a site with a great traffic flow without the usual costs that come with it.
Best Regards