Showing posts with label motive4actions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motive4actions. Show all posts
Sunday, 27 January 2013
7 Easy Ways to Increase Website Traffic and Sales
7 Easy Ways to Increase Website Traffic and Sales
Dear Dan:The current “slowdown” (ummmm, crash?) seems like a good time to focus a little more on our Internet marketing. Of course, we don’t have any cash.
What are some things we can do without spending much, if any, money? - Willing but Cashless
Dear Willing: One of the best things about marketing online is easy access to business building tools that cost little or nothing to use. Even when budgets tighten, these readily-available tactics can have a real impact on your bottom line. Jay Berkowitz, an Internet marketing pro and founder of the Ten Golden Rules of Internet Marketing, suggests these steps you can take to build business online with free or low-cost tools and tactics:
1. Draw traffic to your website with free SEO tactics. Sure, SEO is almost a cliché these days. But getting it right is critical. Search engine optimization (SEO) helps people find your website when they search online. To score high in search results, you need two things: the right words (or “keywords”) on your site, plus other sites that link to you, which Google considers a sign you are important. Berkowitz suggests you regularly write articles about your industry for your website. Use words and phrases that customers and prospects would likely search for.
Wordtracker.com is a great way to find the most popular search terms that people use, no matter what business you are in. A 7-day trial is free. Using those same terms (some of them may surprise you) on your website will help “optimize” it for the search engines. The Wordtracker site also has helpful articles and a free newsletter on using keywords to build business.
To generate links, ask business associates, suppliers and others to link to your website. Also request links from your industry associations or local chamber of commerce.
2. Eye the competition with competitive intelligence tools. Web-based services such as Spyfu.com and Compete.com offer free tools that can show you where your competitors are advertising on the Internet and how much they are spending. Spyfu lets you see which keywords your competitors are buying and which ones they are using most on their websites. You can even download their keywords and adwords. Many Spyfu tools are free.
3. Track your lead acquisition costs. What happens after people click something on your site? By using a free tool from Google called Google Analytics, you can determine where visitors to your website are coming from, how many requested your brochure, newsletter or other free offer, and how many made a purchase. Once you know how many leads you generated from, say, a banner campaign on your local newspaper site compared to pay-per-click ads on Google or elsewhere, you’ll know where to invest in the future.
4. Pack a free web-based PR punch: Sites that help you write and distribute press releases for little or no cost are a great way to get noticed. Free options include PR.com and Clickpress.com. Low-cost solutions such as PRweb.com and MyPRgenie.com offer a good chance your release will be found by major search engines.
5. Raise your “social media” profile: More and more entrepreneurs are discovering the business-building power of social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. A presence on LinkedIn puts you into the pre-eminent business networking site on the Internet. And Facebook isn’t just for teens and college kids. It’s also a fast growing platform where business owners communicate with customers and prospects. You can even create a “fan page” for your business on Facebook, which is a great way to facilitate web-based word-of-mouth about your products and services.
These Business.com how-to guides on Getting the Most out of LinkedIn and Creating a Facebook Fan Page forYour Business can help.
6. Create a virtual sales force with affiliate marketing. Affiliates are marketers who will send traffic to your website in exchange for a small fee for a lead or percentage of the sale. Affiliate networks include Commission Junction (CJ.com), Linkshare.com and ShareaSale.com. Berkowitz recommends that you first calculate how much it costs you to get a sale on your own, and offer the affiliates slightly less.
7. Tap free site-tuning tools. Google Website Optimizer is a helpful and free tool that can improve conversions on your website. Website Optimizer helps you test different offers, prices and designs to determine which are the most effective. Click on Business Solutions at the bottom of the Google home page.
7 Ways to Optimize Your Professional Profile
Companies spend a lot of money every year making sure they are found online. And there are countless articles explaining the ins and outs of online marketing for a corporate brand. But what about your personal brand? How should you optimize your personal brand so you’re easily discovered?
1. Keep it Up to Date
Change jobs? Post it. Change job title? Post it? Add something on the side? Post it. In other words, post often. Another great way to keep things current is to add new peer recommendations on a consistent basis. This is an excellent way to keep the content on your online profiles fresh. The best way to do it? Aim to get a new recommendation every month. If you get several recommendations at once, spread them out.
2. Refresh Your Keywords and Specialties
What terms are used on job search websites to describe what you do? Find those terms and use them intermittently in the same way any good website does. But be smart about it. Be sure when you add keywords or phrases that you do it organically. Overusing keywords can look bad. Also, it’s important when using keywords or phrases to be specific. The more specific about what type of work you do the more it will help you get found by the right potential employers.3. Be Everywhere
This isn’t the first time you’ve heard it, but it's clear search and social media are now officially joined at the hip. That's why you should create multiple online profiles. Websites like LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and a personal blog that are all connected via links, help your personal search rankings. Keep your messaging consistent as well since you don’t want to come off as someone with multiple personalities.
Also, remember that keeping social media “social” is still the best way to benefit from it. That means you need to get involved by participating in discussions, commenting on blogs and offering recommendations. In case you’re still wondering if being more social across multiple platforms will help, consider this. In 2011, 89% of companies used social media for recruiting.
4. Get the Recognition You Deserve
Post awards, accolades, and significant accomplishments. It’s OK to brag a little on these platforms as long as you keep it honest. Yes, it’s generally better to have someone else brag about you, but all legitimate recognitions should be included in your profiles no matter who's pointing them out.
5. Diversify Your Professional and Peer Recommendations
If all of your recommendations are from co-workers at your current job or from college friends, it won’t help you as much with recruiters. You should be seeking recommendations from more than one group for one simple reason: It adds to your credibility.
6. Request Personal and Professional Recommendations
This article is a great primer for recommendations. The two major lessons you'll learn: Ask for specific recommendations, and say thank you. Good recommendations can be tough to secure, but they’re worth it. And being appreciative can get you a lot more than you realize.7. Get Involved in Groups on LinkedIn and Other Job Forums
Find the groups that relate to your career focus or community and get involved. Alumni and professional groups on LinkedIn are a great place to start. As you get involved, you’ll notice that it’s an excellent forum for networking with company executives and even recruiters.What other tips have you found that work for optimizing your professional profile? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Friday, 25 January 2013
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Monday, 21 January 2013
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Ten Top Tips for Working From Home
By John J Bowen
With more and more people working from home as they set out on working for themselves, here are ten top tips for survival are:
1 - Have a timetable. If you're an early riser, make a point of going no later than 0800 before getting smartened up and some business clothes on; at least smart casual - going native is not clever. If you're smart and looking ready for work, you'll think like work: Behave like a slob and it'll show in your work,
2 - Schedule your day in whatever way works for you, but take breaks. Don't do too long on the computer without stopping to do something different. A brisk walk round the block a couple of times a day is good. It gets the blood flowing and that gets oxygen into the brain. Other 15 minute distractions could include time in the garden doing a little weeding or pruning or to do some prep work on tonight's dinner.
3 - Set yourself deadlines and monitor progress. Plan to get x number of calls made, write x hundred words or to finish certain tasks (or make a start on them). Use a desk diary or put it on Outlook or your phone or whatever, but do have a plan for the day/week/month.
4 - It's easy to forget to eat and drink properly and neither omission will do you any good. Avoid too much caffeine, and eat sensible foods. One way of taking a break I use is to prepare a decent lunch. Take your food break at the dining table as well, sat up properly to aid digestion. Always aim to take your refreshment breaks at regular times.
5 - Try to have a working area set up in the home so that you do, if effect, go to the office and leave the office. It is an important psychological break point. If you don't have a separate area and have to use the couch or the dining table then have a couple of stacking crates that you keep your files and working stuff in so that you can pack away and put the boxes in the corner. You have to maintain separate home and office regimes.
6 - One of our cyber pals talks about life - work harmony. He doesn't like the term Balance in this context and we think that he's right. It is more about harmony in your life and ensuring that you, and the other people in your life, feel good about your lifestyle.
7 - Replace those water cooler moments with some other form of business contact. For me that's a business club. What you need is a couple of hours every couple of weeks where you can relax and chat with fellow business people from a variety of functions. If there are presentations you'll learn from them and get the chance to do your own which practices another skill.
8 - Don't feel guilty about time shifting your hours. If you want to use daylight or weekdays for something personal, as long as you hit your deadlines, do it, but try to make the time in advance by putting the evening or weekend hours in first: It's hard to play catch up.
9 - Stay safe: Take care with cables and extension leads even if you are the only one home. Keep information and equipment secure, and do your back ups. It's your office.
1 - Have a timetable. If you're an early riser, make a point of going no later than 0800 before getting smartened up and some business clothes on; at least smart casual - going native is not clever. If you're smart and looking ready for work, you'll think like work: Behave like a slob and it'll show in your work,
2 - Schedule your day in whatever way works for you, but take breaks. Don't do too long on the computer without stopping to do something different. A brisk walk round the block a couple of times a day is good. It gets the blood flowing and that gets oxygen into the brain. Other 15 minute distractions could include time in the garden doing a little weeding or pruning or to do some prep work on tonight's dinner.
3 - Set yourself deadlines and monitor progress. Plan to get x number of calls made, write x hundred words or to finish certain tasks (or make a start on them). Use a desk diary or put it on Outlook or your phone or whatever, but do have a plan for the day/week/month.
4 - It's easy to forget to eat and drink properly and neither omission will do you any good. Avoid too much caffeine, and eat sensible foods. One way of taking a break I use is to prepare a decent lunch. Take your food break at the dining table as well, sat up properly to aid digestion. Always aim to take your refreshment breaks at regular times.
5 - Try to have a working area set up in the home so that you do, if effect, go to the office and leave the office. It is an important psychological break point. If you don't have a separate area and have to use the couch or the dining table then have a couple of stacking crates that you keep your files and working stuff in so that you can pack away and put the boxes in the corner. You have to maintain separate home and office regimes.
6 - One of our cyber pals talks about life - work harmony. He doesn't like the term Balance in this context and we think that he's right. It is more about harmony in your life and ensuring that you, and the other people in your life, feel good about your lifestyle.
7 - Replace those water cooler moments with some other form of business contact. For me that's a business club. What you need is a couple of hours every couple of weeks where you can relax and chat with fellow business people from a variety of functions. If there are presentations you'll learn from them and get the chance to do your own which practices another skill.
8 - Don't feel guilty about time shifting your hours. If you want to use daylight or weekdays for something personal, as long as you hit your deadlines, do it, but try to make the time in advance by putting the evening or weekend hours in first: It's hard to play catch up.
9 - Stay safe: Take care with cables and extension leads even if you are the only one home. Keep information and equipment secure, and do your back ups. It's your office.
10 - Have fun - otherwise there's no point.
Persuasive Edge
Add a Persuasive Edge to Your Articles
Persuasion drives action and growth. To be persuasive is to have the ability to persuade or convince someone to do or believe something through reasoning or temptation. To write persuasively, the author convinces the reader to perform an action by presenting evidence that supports an opinion.
Why You Should Be Persuasive
Readers come to your articles in search of facts, tips, and solutions to help them reach their goals – but they still expect to be entertained, engaged, motivated, and informed. Essentially, you want your reader to finish your article and arrive at your Resource Box thinking: “Okay, you’ve convinced me. So, what’s next?”
Top 5 Tips to Writing Persuasive Articles
Use these tips to give your articles and your calls-to-action a persuasive and engaging edge to convince readers!
1. Don’t Keep Readers Waiting
Teasers (i.e., the reader has to click away to gain the full benefit they were promised) are not persuasive; they’re irritating and untrustworthy. Be up front in your article’s title, summary, and introduction. In the article, deliver on everything you promised elsewhere and treat your Resource Box’s call-to-action and links as the next logical step in your reader’s search.
2. Provide Evidence That Supports Your Topic
What is true and valid is often the most persuasive. Back up your claims by showing your readers facts, data, etc. you’ve gathered in your niche. Should you quote other sources to support your topic, limit quotations to no more than 5 lines (total) of properly cited content.
3. Lead With Originality Every Time
Readers crave new, top-of-the-line information that gives them value. Whoever delivers fresh, unrepeated information has a competitive edge because of this value. Be the leading expert known for value: Provide 100% original information 100% of the time.
4. Be Personal Without Giving Away TMI
Find the perfect balance between formal and informal writing by avoiding stuffy formalities where it counts, but know when a personal anecdote is and isn’t appropriate. The key is to be relatable by placing yourself in the piece and providing information that doesn’t convey TMI (Too Much Information).
5. Edit to Be Specific, Direct, and Persuasive
Write using active voice (subject performs action) to be direct and concise. Rigorously edit your articles to remove any signs of verbiage; check for the following:
www.motive4actions.com
Persuasion drives action and growth. To be persuasive is to have the ability to persuade or convince someone to do or believe something through reasoning or temptation. To write persuasively, the author convinces the reader to perform an action by presenting evidence that supports an opinion.
Why You Should Be Persuasive
Readers come to your articles in search of facts, tips, and solutions to help them reach their goals – but they still expect to be entertained, engaged, motivated, and informed. Essentially, you want your reader to finish your article and arrive at your Resource Box thinking: “Okay, you’ve convinced me. So, what’s next?”
Top 5 Tips to Writing Persuasive Articles
Use these tips to give your articles and your calls-to-action a persuasive and engaging edge to convince readers!
1. Don’t Keep Readers Waiting
Teasers (i.e., the reader has to click away to gain the full benefit they were promised) are not persuasive; they’re irritating and untrustworthy. Be up front in your article’s title, summary, and introduction. In the article, deliver on everything you promised elsewhere and treat your Resource Box’s call-to-action and links as the next logical step in your reader’s search.
2. Provide Evidence That Supports Your Topic
What is true and valid is often the most persuasive. Back up your claims by showing your readers facts, data, etc. you’ve gathered in your niche. Should you quote other sources to support your topic, limit quotations to no more than 5 lines (total) of properly cited content.
3. Lead With Originality Every Time
Readers crave new, top-of-the-line information that gives them value. Whoever delivers fresh, unrepeated information has a competitive edge because of this value. Be the leading expert known for value: Provide 100% original information 100% of the time.
4. Be Personal Without Giving Away TMI
Find the perfect balance between formal and informal writing by avoiding stuffy formalities where it counts, but know when a personal anecdote is and isn’t appropriate. The key is to be relatable by placing yourself in the piece and providing information that doesn’t convey TMI (Too Much Information).
5. Edit to Be Specific, Direct, and Persuasive
Write using active voice (subject performs action) to be direct and concise. Rigorously edit your articles to remove any signs of verbiage; check for the following:
- Remove needless words (e.g., “the reason for this is” = “because”)
- Use emphatic words at the end of a sentence to drive the point home
- Add emotive language (e.g., health, anger, joy, frustration, passion, urgency, etc.)
- Stress nouns and verbs which are more powerful than adjectives and adverbs
www.motive4actions.com
Let the World Know about Your Videos
Top Tips To Make Money On YouTube
By Merv Stevens
To make money on YouTube, one must have a few tactics for optimizing content and monetizing efforts. With the huge success and growth of YouTube, many people are looking into ways they might cash in a few bucks - or several thousand.
Some people use YouTube to simply upload video tutorials, blogs, or entertaining clips without having a site of their own to direct viewers to. These people can still make money on YouTube by enrolling in ads. They will make a certain amount of money each time a person clicks on an ad hosted on one of their videos.
Others use make money on YouTube by generating traffic for their own site, and earn their money from that site. Whether they sell a product or service or simply make money on ads on their site, using YouTube to drive traffic is a great way to build a relationship with viewers and create a more stable income.
Still others prefer a blend of the two options. You can enroll in make money on YouTube by enrolling in ads and make a few cents each time someone clicks a link, and include links or calls to action which drive traffic to your own site and possibly make more money.
Whichever way you choose to monetize your videos, there are a few things you will want to do to maximize the results.
Here are some top tips:
1. Use SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a vital part of any website's success, and you cannot afford to skip it on your videos, either. Do some quick keyword research on your topics to uncover keywords you should include in you titles, video descriptions, and meta tags for each video.
2. Create Quality Videos
You don't need a fancy camera and studio lights, but you will want to plan the video so it has clear sound, quality lighting, no "shaky cam", and a clear picture. Some videos are actually cartoons, commercials, or simply slide shows and they work just fine -- but be sure the sound quality and graphics are top-notch.
3. Let the World Know about Your Videos
Especially in the beginning, you will need to get the word out about your videos in order for people to find them. Use social media, your website, email, or article marketing to tell people about your videos and get visitors to come have a look. If your videos are helpful and high quality, you will probably get some people sharing the link for you!
4. Customize your Channel
Customizing a YouTube channel is a branding exercise that instills a sense of professionalism. Even if you are just one guy making videos in his basement, customizing your channel will make people feel more comfortable, give them a way to identify with your "brand", and perhaps even create more interest in the channel itself. Customizing isn't hard and doesn't necessarily require a graphic designer, but you do want to take care to get the best design that you can at the time -- and revisit the design at least once a year.
These items will help you make money on YouTube, but just how much you make is up to you. It does require regular updates of new content and even interaction with viewers, but there are many users who even make a full-time living on the site
www.motive4actions.com
Some people use YouTube to simply upload video tutorials, blogs, or entertaining clips without having a site of their own to direct viewers to. These people can still make money on YouTube by enrolling in ads. They will make a certain amount of money each time a person clicks on an ad hosted on one of their videos.
Others use make money on YouTube by generating traffic for their own site, and earn their money from that site. Whether they sell a product or service or simply make money on ads on their site, using YouTube to drive traffic is a great way to build a relationship with viewers and create a more stable income.
Still others prefer a blend of the two options. You can enroll in make money on YouTube by enrolling in ads and make a few cents each time someone clicks a link, and include links or calls to action which drive traffic to your own site and possibly make more money.
Whichever way you choose to monetize your videos, there are a few things you will want to do to maximize the results.
Here are some top tips:
1. Use SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a vital part of any website's success, and you cannot afford to skip it on your videos, either. Do some quick keyword research on your topics to uncover keywords you should include in you titles, video descriptions, and meta tags for each video.
2. Create Quality Videos
You don't need a fancy camera and studio lights, but you will want to plan the video so it has clear sound, quality lighting, no "shaky cam", and a clear picture. Some videos are actually cartoons, commercials, or simply slide shows and they work just fine -- but be sure the sound quality and graphics are top-notch.
3. Let the World Know about Your Videos
Especially in the beginning, you will need to get the word out about your videos in order for people to find them. Use social media, your website, email, or article marketing to tell people about your videos and get visitors to come have a look. If your videos are helpful and high quality, you will probably get some people sharing the link for you!
4. Customize your Channel
Customizing a YouTube channel is a branding exercise that instills a sense of professionalism. Even if you are just one guy making videos in his basement, customizing your channel will make people feel more comfortable, give them a way to identify with your "brand", and perhaps even create more interest in the channel itself. Customizing isn't hard and doesn't necessarily require a graphic designer, but you do want to take care to get the best design that you can at the time -- and revisit the design at least once a year.
These items will help you make money on YouTube, but just how much you make is up to you. It does require regular updates of new content and even interaction with viewers, but there are many users who even make a full-time living on the site
www.motive4actions.com
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