5 Quick Tips To Get Website Traffic Fast!

Online, one of the most significant keys to success is getting website traffic.  The more visitors you have, the better your sales and profits.  Presumably you have a niche and you know your keywords, and regularly conduct keyword research to stay on top of what’s popular.  Based on those assumptions here are five quick and easy tips to get website traffic fast!

Tip #1  Make sure you’re actually tagging your keywords.

Do you spend a lot of time optimizing your content and then neglect to tag them on your webpage?  Tags are where search engines look and if there are no tags they’ll pass right by your web pages.  Here’s a quick brief on tags.

There are a number of tag types including,

* Title tags.  Title tags are quite possibly the most important place to situate your keywords.  Here’s what they look like – Primary keyword phrase here.

Your title tag is where you place your primary keyword or keyword phrase.  The sentence will describe your business in less than 90 characters.

* Header Tags.  Header tags are next in order of importance to search engines.  They’re ranked in order of importance and look like this -

Primary and/or Secondary keywords here

The ì1î designates this header as the most important header on the page.

* Meta Tags. Meta tags provide the small descriptive text found underneath the title tag on the search engine results page.  Like title tags these should be kept brief, informative and up to date.

* Alt Tags.  Alt tags are used to provide a text description of a graphic.  Each graphic on your site should have a description and an alt tag.

Tip #2 Add content to your site daily

Content is essential for traffic and a top search engine ranking.  Content is what search engine spiders look for and index – without it there’s nothing to index or rank.  Give visitors and search engines a reason to visit and index your site. Make a commitment to provide daily, optimized content and your traffic will soar.

Tip #3 Procure valuable and relevant incoming links

The more websites which link to your webpages the more valuable search engines perceive you to be, though not all links are created equal.  Search engines give more leverage to links from sites which are popular and credible and from sites which are relevant to your website topic.

There are different types of links.

- A direct link looks like a basic website address, for example, www.yourwebsite.com

- A text link occurs when the webpage address is embedded in the text.  Readers simply click on the link and are redirected to a new website page.

- If the link is to an internal web page, for example an article published on a website, rather than the home page, it is called a ìdeep link.î

You can encourage linking to your website by:

* Adding content to your site.

* Submitting to article directories.

* Publishing press releases.

* Blogging and participating in social networking forums, chat rooms and social networking sites.

Tip #4 Be Social!

Now more than ever before, internet marketing is about building a community.  Whether you offer a forum on your website or you participate in social networking sites, social networking is a valuable traffic generating tactic.  Sites like Facebook and Twitter can be powerful tools for generating links and traffic to your site and create a profile and then post comments, links to your site and ideas which generate conversation.

Get involved – many chat rooms and forums are industry specific, find those which cater to your industry, and begin participating.  Speak to and connect with a highly targeted audience.

Tip #5 Advertise for more exposure and traffic

Advertising, when handled strategically, can be used to promote your content and products or services.  PPC advertising is often the tool of choice because you control the advertising budget on a daily basis and have the tools to test and track your advertising efforts.  Once you’ve honed your PPC ads the return on investment can be phenomenal in terms of traffic and purchases.

For maximum results, create a traffic and SEO strategy.  Outline your plan and your goals and then take the necessary action.  Take advantage of these five traffic and search engine tips to boost your business.

Sincerely,

Nicole

How to Optimize Your Website to Accommodate Bing

You thought you were done when you optimized your site for Google, MSN, and Yahoo, right? Nope – the Microsoft Network, MSN, has partnered with Yahoo in a 10-year, $275 million dollar agreement and recently launched Bing. Having gone live in June 2009, its instantly very popular. There’s even talk that it may eventually replace Google as the most popular search engine because it is intuitive and offers users a number of search options.

Early reports also show that Bing users are more likely to click on advertisements than Google users. Time will tell and Google will most certainly have an answer to Bing’s growing popularity. While we can’t predict the future, all signs point to making the effort now to optimize your website for Bing. Here’s how:

#1 Make your content longer than 300 words. According to SEO experts, Bing algorithms seem to place a higher value on content that is over 300 words. That means longer blog posts, more content on web pages and longer articles.

#2 Optimize your title tags for your keywords and use unique tags on each page. You may be doing this already for Google and Yahoo. Keep it up; Bing likes title tags and pays attention to them when indexing and ranking your page. If you haven’t been paying too much attention to them up until now, its time to start.

#3 Linking is always important. However, unlike Google, Bing likes back links from relevant websites and outbound links are treated with a bit more weight than other search engines.

#4 Bings FAQ page suggests that you target no more than two keywords per page.

#5 You may have let your meta tags slide because rumor has it Google doesn’t really pay attention to them. However, Bing recommends you use unique description tags on each page.

#6 Continue to Use Other Standard Optimization Techniques and strategies. For example:

* Use H1 tags

* Use text navigation links

* Use keywords in your URL

There’s a bit of disagreement between experts. There are some reports that indicate Bing places value on longevity. The older your website, the more respect Bing seems to want to give you. However, other sources cite that younger, newer sites, have the advantage. Regardless, whether you’re a brand new site or a website that’s been around for years, put the above practices in place and be patient.

As an internet business owner it’s always good to pay attention to what the big three are doing, the big three being MSN, Yahoo, and Google. And when two of them team up then that most certainly deserves a change in strategy. As the months pass and Bing continues to grow, there will likely be some additions or changes to how they index and rank websites. Stay tuned for further developments.

Sincerely,

Nicole

Does Your Website Need a Makeover?

Websites, like any marketing materials and business processes, needs to keep up with the times. Whether that means tweaking your website from time to time to keep it up to date or completely redoing it, is a decision that can only be made by you. Here are some questions to help you decide if it’s time.

1. When was the last time you updated your website design or functionality? If it’s been more than a year since you’ve done anything to your website other than add content, then it’s probably time to at least give your website a few touch-ups.

2. Does your website design still accurately reflect your company personality, brand, vision and mission? Businesses change and grow and you can easily outgrow your website design. If it no longer represents who you are and where you’re going as a business, it’s time for a makeover.

3. Is your website able to accomplish all that you need it to accomplish? Old platforms may not be able to handle all of the functions and features you’d like to offer your audience. For example, maybe you want to be able to offer a paid membership option.

4. Have you rebranded your business? If you’ve rebranded your business then your website most certainly needs an update.

5. Is your website poised to handle the future? If your website already has a retro look and feel, it may not be ready for what the future has in store. A touch-up now may prevent you from having to do a complete overhaul in the near future.

What you can do to spruce up your website

* Upgrade or fix the navigation. Navigation, or how your users are able to get around on your website, is essential to them staying on your site and revisiting it. If things are difficult to find, you can bet impatient website visitors will not stay. Navigation is an important function and is a good way to update your website.

* Design. When people think of makeover this is what often comes to mind and yes, you can change or update your colors, design, layout, logo, and graphics to give your website a fresh look and feel.

* Search engine optimization. Hopefully you’ve been updating your keywords and SEO tactics as your business grows and your audience changes. Internet users have become significantly savvier when they search and it’s important to keep up with the trends. This is more of a behind-the-scenes makeover and can be handled by a SEO professional or by you or an educated administrative assistant.

* Functions and features. Today’s prospect likes to interact online and that means offering web 2.0 features and functions.  Most often this doesn’t require a complete overhaul but rather adding some user-friendly items to an already existing site. However, if your platform hasn’t been updated in a long time, you may need to upgrade to stay current.

To stay competitive, it’s important to assess your website on a regular basis. Every six months to a year is a good idea to keep things fresh, innovative and interesting to your audience.

Sincerely,

Nicole

Article Marketing Do’s and Don’ts & How To’s

Article marketing has been used for years to drive traffic to a website, to boost incoming links and increase page ranking. It’s a great way to connect with new prospects and grow your business. Many business owners achieve such fantastic results with article marketing that it’s at the top of their marketing strategy.

Here are a few important article marketing dos and don’ts to get the most from this powerful marketing strategy:

* Do include a link to your website. While many article marketing directories do not allow you to place links in the body of your article, they do encourage you to link to your website or webpage in your author box or bio. Always include a link to your website.

* Do make sure your article is on a subject related to your business. Some business owners make the mistake of writing content that is popular or in high demand in the hope that someone will read the article and click through to their website on an entirely different subject. For example, writing an article on home-made dog treats and then including a link to your dating website just doesn’t make any sense. Your article won’t have the impact you want it to and any links you do generate will be coming from dog sites, not dating sites, which won’t help your SEO.

* Do spell check your content. Article directories do not check your article for spelling and grammar before they publish it.  That’s your job.

* Don’t publish a sales page disguised as an article. It’s insulting to any readers and it won’t have the desired effect.

* Do repurpose quality content you already have to publish on article marketing sites.

* Don’t publish the same article on different marketing sites; this is duplicate content and can get you in trouble with article marketing sites.

* Do pay attention to the specs for each article marketing site.

* Do provide valuable and original content.

* Don’t plagiarize; be original!

* Do provide relevant facts and figures to give your article credibility and authority. These are the articles which are published often.

* Do format your article for reading online. That means short paragraphs, bullet points and lists, subheadings and a clear structure.

* Do write a polished bio and you’re an expert, so present yourself like one.

* Do include a call to action in your biography. Inspire and motivate readers to click through to your website.

* Do choose article marketing sites that provide statistics so you can see which articles are published most often and viewed most often.

* Do categorize your articles appropriately so readers can find you.

* Do give your articles captivating headlines! Grab your reader’s attention.

Each article marketing site or directory will have their own publisher’s agreement for you to review and approve. Be sure you’re aware of what the site requires and allows before you submit an article to them, and make sure you’re submitting to a directory that gets enough traffic to make your efforts worthwhile. Following these article marketing dos and don’ts will help you reach your article marketing efforts quickly.

Sincerly,

Nicole

Blog Platforms and How to Use Them Successfully

Blogging is a wonderful way to connect with your audience, to provide valuable and useful information to prospects and customers, to sell your products and services, and to drive traffic to your website. However, before you begin to blog or even start to set one up, you have one very important decision to make. Which blogging platform will you use? Here are a few tips on how to use blog platforms successfully.

The Big Three and Beyond

A blog platform is essentially a product which a blog or website is based on. In many cases they’re the service you use to host and publish your blog. In the blogging world, there are three big players with a host of smaller platforms. The big three are:

* Blogger, now owned by Google

* Typepad

* WordPress

There is also MoveableType.org, which is an open source publishing platform. Another is Joomla, which offers blogging capabilities but is considered more of a website platform than a blogging platform. There are many other website hosts which offer blogging functions; however, they’re not traditional platforms.

When you choose a blogging platform, you’re looking for a few key ingredients. you’re looking for:

* Ease of use – If you have to jump through hoops and read a 1000 page manual to get a blog up and running, you’re not going to want to do it. Intuitive interfaces and easy to find information are essential.

* Functionality – It needs to be user-friendly for your customers and prospects, and that means easy to navigate and easy to use.

* Features – You want your blog to be able to do what you want and need it to do, including sell products and services, host contests, take feedback and so on.

* Price – Always a consideration.

* Customization – You want to be able to make your blog look and feel exactly like you want it to without a ton of work, time and money.

* Reputation – You want a platform that’s going to be around for years and years to come so you don’t have to switch your blog to a different platform.

Before you choose a blogging platform you’ll want to spend some time determining what you want your blog to accomplish. If for example you want to optimize your blog for the first page of the search engines, you’re going to want a blog that is easy to optimize and maybe has search engine optimization plug-ins. This means making a list of your requirements before you even begin comparing blogging platforms.

Another important thing to consider is where your blog is going to be hosted. TypePad and Blogger are both hosted blogs, meaning your URL will be http://www.yournamehere.typepad.com/

The same is true for blogger. WordPress gives you the option. You can host your blog on WordPress or redirect it to another host so your URL is whatever you want it to be.

Read everything about your blogging platform before you go through the work to customize it and set it up. Some hosted blogging platforms do not allow advertising, for example, and if that’s something you want to do then you’ll need to consider those restrictions before you sign on.

The good news is that blogging is free and unless you hire a professional designer to customize it then your start-up expenses are nominal. (There’s a $10 fee to redirect a WordPress blog to another host.) Choosing your blogging platform just takes a little time and research. Happy blogging.

Sincerely,

Nicole

Tips for Using Freelancing Websites

Freelancing websites can be a great way to build a portfolio, fill in gaps between projects and add to your customer base. However, not all projects are created equally and there are definitely a few tricks and tips to make sure you get the best jobs. Here are seven tips for using freelancing websites.

#1 Make the most of your membership. Most freelancing websites offer varying degrees of memberships. That means if you have a membership that allows you to bid on ten jobs a month, you want to be choosy with the jobs you bid on. Choose jobs that match your expertise and make a habit of checking the freelance websites once a week, once each morning, or however fits best into your schedule. Some sites will email you jobs that match specified criteria, which will save you time searching through endless job postings.

#2 Look for providers that post jobs frequently and come through with them. For example, you don’t want to bid on a job where the provider has posted 110 jobs in the past six months and only completed or followed through on ten. Instead, search for reputable projects and companies.

#3 Review buyer feedback. We don’t have to tell you that some jobs just aren’t worth the headaches and buyers can be a real pain in the neck. Of course, there are also wonderful customers who are great to work with. Review feedback on potential companies before bidding on a project.

#4 Trust your instincts. Bid on projects that make you feel positive about them. Projects that get you excited will help you put your best foot forward when bidding and communicating with the buyer. This enthusiasm and confidence in your instincts will translate in your communications and you’re actually more likely to get the job.

#5 Customize your bid for each project. Buyers can tell if you’re simply cutting and pasting the same old bid verbiage for each project. Customize your bid for the specific project and share your relevant experience.

#6 Ask questions. One of the biggest mistakes freelancers make when working on freelancing websites is that they’re afraid to ask questions. Instead, they make assumptions and the result is often costly to them, making them lose money on the project and perhaps not give as positive an impression as they could have.

#7 Most freelancing websites enable you to publish a portfolio. That’s great, but it also helps if you can link to your website or attach relevant examples in your bid. For example, if you’re bidding on a graphic design project for a pet food company and you have logos you’ve designed for the pet industry, attach those to your bid even if they’re already in your portfolio.

Finally, and perhaps above all else, be professional and treat others as you would like to be treated. Respond promptly to questions from potential customers, be willing to negotiate, and always be positive and polite. You may not be chosen for the project you’re bidding on; however, customers remember people they’re impressed with and you may be the freelancer they contact the next time they have a project.