Adding online marketing to your business plan

These days, most business owners and entrepreneurs are aware that they need to incorporate the internet and its associated strategies to remain competitive and indeed, simply to remain in business at all. However, after years at the cutting edge of internet marketing and assisting clients from small business to multi-national corporate organisations, I am still surprised just how many of them consider their internet strategies to be separate from their business’ marketing strategy and, indeed their overall business plan.

Internet marketing does not exist separately to your other business lead generation and customer service models. It should co-exist and complement every other marketing exercise you do. Similarly, there is little point having a fantastic and highly effective lead generation strategy to your website, if you fail to pick up the phone when all your new clients call to buy from you. Believe it or not, I have seen this happen.

When it comes to devising your business plan and incorporating internet marketing as part of it, it pays to go back and revisit the basics in business, as these indeed are important. Revisiting the basic business formula will help you determine which online strategies to use.

The most basic aim of business – any business – is to make a profit. If yours doesn’t aim to make a profit, then it’s not a business, it’s a hobby or a charity. Simple as that. Notice I said aim to make a profit. Obviously not all businesses do make a profit.

Read More – http://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/sales-and-marketing/adding-online-marketing-to-your-business-plan-12012012.html

E-commerce poised for a leap in 2012

After the social media revolution, is e-commerce the next big thing in India? Recent reports indicate so. Online retailers have registered an average 18 per cent growth this year, but are they prepared to handle the influx of online shoppers? The year 2012 may come as a year of surprises to cynics of the industry who believe that online shopping cannot become an Indian reality. The argument that is often given is that buying behaviour of Indian consumers is non-virtual.

The first report that showed data contrary to this argument was the Internet data released by IMRB and IAMAI. The report claimed that the number of Internet users has touched the 100-million mark and is likely to grow exponentially. The number of active Internet users has reached inflection point. But has this growth also translated into growth of online shoppers? Latest figures say so. A recent pan-India report released by comScore Inc reveals that online shopping in India has touched a growth rate of 18 per cent and is only likely to grow further. The report found that nearly 60 per cent of netizens in India visited a retail site in November 2011, with the number of online shoppers increasing by 18 per cent in the past year.

Read More – http://www.exchange4media.com/news/story.aspx?Section_id=4&News_id=44890

Four ways the SEO industry could rule the world

SEO has changed beyond recognition over the last ten years. At one point SEO was an obscure hobby for geeks chatting to one another over Usenet. Then it became a cottage industry. Then SEO became a career prospect.

Now it’s a huge industry that commands the attention of CMOs and CEOs of multi-national companies.

SEO could grow even larger.  Here are four ways in which the SEO industry could rule the world. However, before we dive deep into SEO hubris, we should also highlight Four ways the SEO industry could kill itself.

1) SEO is your digital strategy

Modern SEO looks very different from the ancient SEO of six years ago. The industry has moved on from problems like “Can the search spider reach this page?” and to challenges like “Why would anyone talk about that product?”.

That’s a question that needs to be asked if any product page is to attract links, social mentions and the other quality signals search engines look at. Bing considers behavioural analysis to be their most important ranking factor and so the SEO engaged in this web build project will also be offering usability advice and conversion optimisation.

Read More – http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/8297-four-ways-the-seo-industry-could-rule-the-world

Smart Businesses are Changing Marketing Strategies

Every business owner dreams of that day when his/her business grows to be a global phenomenon or maybe just a national success story. With traditional marketing, this remained a distant unattainable dream for most business owners. Not anymore!
Internet has made this dream attainable. More than ever before, new businesses of all sizes are succeeding in the global arena.
Traditional Marketing is becoming less dominant as Internet marketing is growing.
During the 1990s advertisers concentrated on delivering a specific message to a mass audience using radio, television, and print media. As with everything else, technology is changing the way businesses market their products and services.
Internet marketing has become so successful that every business ought to partake in it.
Some of the factors that differentiate Traditional and Internet marketing are:
1. Audience…..Save money: Traditional marketing targets a mass audience.
Money is spent on radio, television, and print media advertisements. Determining the effectiveness of the advertisement is difficult and is not timely. Internet marketing on the other hand targets a specific audience of one’s choosing. Determining the effect of the advertisement is much easier as tracking of the advertisement can be done on every element of the advertisement. Results are, therefore, available instantaneously and adjustments to the advertisement can be done immediately.

Read more – http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=41934&title=Smart%20Businesses%20are%20Changing%20Marketing%20Strategies

Top 5 Considerations For International SEO

 

Considering a global expansion in 2012? Extending your web presence internationally can be challenging, especially without local resources at your disposal. But, with the right preparations it can be done. Understanding the basic principles of International SEO will ready you to enter a new foreign market successfully. Here are five critical considerations to account for prior to embarking on global SEO.

Goals & Limitations

Don’t rush the process of analyzing your existing resources and identifying potential barriers to entry. Future changes are likely to be expensive and short-cuts now can eventually be detrimental to your SEO.

Start by assessing your target market. Are you focused on a region (Latin America), a language (Spanish speakers), or a single country (Spain)? These are important distinctions that will impact all other decisions to follow.

Assess the strengths and limitations of your existing content management system (CMS). Assess and plan for various IT questions such as how you intend to handle subdomains and directories or if you’ll be able to localize URLs.

Review external factors like legal requirements, whether local hosting is a necessity, or if specific advertising laws are relevant to your industry.

Search Engine Selection

Identify which search engines are most popular in the countries you’re targeting. Don’t assume the search engine landscape will mirror that of the United States.

In many foreign countries, Google’s presence is far more pronounced, while in others, a local or regional company dominates. In Europe, Google accounts for more than 90 percent market share. In Russia, Yandex is the most prominent search engine and in China, Baidu is the front-runner.

When considering which search engines to target, take note: unless a user has unique personalized settings, most search engines default to the user’s local version. Meaning, if you’re in Germany you will automatically be directed to Google.de. As a result, it’s essential to do keyword research as well as rank checking on the local level.

Article source – http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2126401/Top-5-Considerations-For-International-SEO

Online Marketing Success is Dependent On These Skills

Perhaps the very best thing about IM is that anybody can enter the field and have great success. In online marketing, it doesn’t matter how old or young you are. Your race and the location on the planet on which you dwell is not what matters. Your sex doesn’t matter. Your political opinions, how you look and, well, you get the idea. The only things that do matter in IM are your desire to succeed and your ability to work hard. This does not, though, mean that you do not need to possess any skills to work in IM. There are some skills that will spell the difference in whether or not you attain the success you desire.

Time management is extremely crucial when you wish to find success in online marketing. There are millions of different things that need to be accomplished when you begin your INternet marketing ventures. Be aware that it takes time to do all of these things. If you want to be able to get things done, you have to learn how to properly schedule and manage your time. If you do not acquire this skill, you are going to find yourself stuck in thousands of half finished projects and an Internet marketing venture that won’t ever be a success.

Are you any good at researching? Do you know where you need to go to get the information you are looking for? Here’s a clue: it isn’t always the Internet. Surely you know that you can only accomplish so much using Google. Interviews are vital too. Get used to going to the library. You need to know where to obtain the records and other statistical information that you need for helping you sell your products. Discovering how to properly do research will oftentimes spell the difference between how well you can create and then sell your products and services.

Read More – http://eva-news.com/sme/marketing/online-marketing-success-is-dependent-on-these-skills/2377190/

Betapond Introduces Near-Field Communication Check-In Service …

Via Scoop.it – QRCodesandSocialMedia

Ireland-based Facebook developer Betapond introduced a social media marketing platform that utilizes both QR Code technology and Near-Field Communication functionality in order to allow users to check in to locations …
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Infographic design, give tables a chance – mkaz.com

Via Scoop.it – Google Plus and Social Media

Here’s another example infographic where table data would get the information across much easier, Perks of Working at Google, Facebook, Twitter… This graphic … Perk, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter.
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Social Networking Startup Unthink Aims to Topple Facebook – PC Magazine

Via Scoop.it – Google Plus and Social Media

Shiny ShinySocial Networking Startup Unthink Aims to Topple FacebookPC Magazine… and Co. aren’t just hoping to topple Facebook, but to take on sites like Groupon and LinkedIn as well.
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Dangers of Social Media & Driving

In the past few years, social media has become a daily, or even hourly, part of millions of people’s lives.  Since the advent of the mobile phone, drivers are facing more and more potential distractions whilst driving.  A UK survey has reported that 27% of people have admitted to illegally using Facebook whilst driving.  This distraction puts the driver and innocent people at risk to serious consequences and endangerment, when the driver should be concentrating on the road.

Adrian Walsh, Director of RoadSafe says: “It’s a frightening thought that people are checking their smartphones whilst driving. Many studies from across the world prove that drivers using phones are slower to respond than those who are just over the drink-drive limit. It is dangerous to use a phone – even hands free when driving.”

These are shocking figures considering that drivers are four times more likely to crash using their mobile phone behind the wheel.  The problem is even more prevalent amongst university and college students, a US survey found that some students are so addicted that they at least 44% check their Facebook before brushing their teeth in the morning.  Although there is a lot of emphasis placed on personal social media activities, social media for business use is also part of the problem.

Read more – http://www.backup-technology.com/10309/dangers-of-social-media-driving/