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More Free Ways to Increase Website Traffic

May 122010

Sign up for a Facebook Page and Twitter Account

Create a page for your business on Facebook. Fill out as much information as you can.

Create a Twitter account for your business. Again, fill out as much information as you can.

Allow Facebook to link to your Twitter account so that all your posts to your Facebook page will be sent to your Twitter account.

Update your page often, look for friends who are already on Facebook, and might be likely to “like” your page. Search for related businesses or those in the same city and “like” them.

Add links to your Email signatures and website to allow people to easily find and follow you on Facebook and Twitter. The more you can get people involved, the more traffic you will get.

LocalEze

Increase your local presence with LocalEze. Bing and ChaCha use their local business listings.

Yelp

Get a discussion started – about you! Claim (or create) your listing at Yelp.com. Search for your business by category and location. If your listing does not show up, click on the “Add a Business” button. If your business is listed, click to view the business information, then click the “Is this your business?” link and follow the instructions.

Once you have created or claimed your Yelp listing, send your listing link to customer and ask them to write a review of your business.

The Bottom Line

Getting people to your website is very important, but if your website is a mess and they can’t find what they want in 10 seconds or less, chances are, your hard-one visitors will move on – quickly! Make sure your site looks up-to-date, is easy to navigate and contains good, keyword-rich content. Call 830 822-6589 for assistance today.

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Got a "Cease and Desist" Letter?

Website Tips 1 Response »

Mar 112010

Today I got a call from a customer who received a “cease and desist” letter from a company in California who accuses her of copyright infringement. Now her brand new website, domain name and expensive new sign need to be changed. Her skin care company in Canyon Lake, Texas just happens to have the same name as one in California. Her business name is legally registered in Texas and has been for years.

I’m not a lawyer and I can’t offer legal advice, but I question the validity of the claim. According to everything I have read, there must be a likelihood of confusion to claim trademark infringement. In fact, Bitlaw states, “a plaintiff in a trademark case has the burden of proving that the defendant’s use of a mark has created a likelihood-of-confusion about the origin of the defendant’s goods or services. To do this, the plaintiff should first show that it has developed a protectable trademark right in a trademark. The plaintiff then must show that the defendant is using a confusingly similar mark in such a way that it creates a likelihood of confusion, mistake and/or deception with the consuming public. The confusion created can be that the defendant’s products are the same as that of the plaintiff, or that the defendant is somehow associated, affiliated, connected, approved, authorized or sponsored by plaintiff.”

Could a small day spa in Canyon Lake, Texas with strictly local business really be confused with a spa in California?

We’re going to change the site, she’s going to change her sign and everything else that has identified her business for years. Does anyone else think this is ridiculous?

Oh, if you’re wondering if your business name is violating some trademark out there, check out the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS). It’s not completely comprehensive, but it’s interesting to take a look!

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The Power of Email Marketing

Website Tips 1 Response »

Dec 292009

Think your business is too small/new/old-fashioned for Email marketing? Think again! Email marketing is an extremely cost-effective way to:

Remind prospects and customers why they should visit or call you again.
Alert customers to new offerings, sales, special discounts and even printable coupons at about 1/20 the cost of direct mail.
Provide a great place to show off customer testimonials, success stories and photos.
Make it simple for customers to forward the information to friends and colleagues.

No mailing list? No problem!

Start today. Collect Email addresses from all your customers. Have a guest book at your store, ask for an Email address from each person who calls your business and add a sign-up form to your website. If you have a customer database, call each customer. Inform each that you are updating your contact information and would like to add an Email address to their profile. Make sure they know they can unsubscribe at any time.

Affordable and Simple

Constant Contact offers a free 60-day trial. After the trial, rates start at $15/month for up to 500 subscribers. If you want to send only occasional messages, you can become a “seasonal” subscriber and pay for just one month at a time without losing your mailing lists, sent messages and reports.

I’m happy to help! I can set up your account, upload mailing lists, create and send great-looking, effective messages and provide important data such as bounced Emails, which contacts opened messages and even which links were clicked. Call 830.822.6589 to get started today. It’s easier than you think!

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Free Marketing Secrets – Yahoo! Local

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Dec 292009

A free Yahoo local listing displays your address, phone number and website. You can put your business in up to 5 categories and list products, services, brands you carry and more.

To see where results appear, search for ‘roofing new braunfels tx’ on Yahoo! The top listings are from Yahoo! Local, and we all want to be listed at the top!

To Add Your Site:

Go to the Yahoo! Local Listings page and click on “Sign up”
Sign in with your Yahoo! ID, or register for a new account.
Enter as much information as possible.
Choose appropriate and specific categories for your listing.
Click on “Continue”, review your listing and submit.

In 3-5 days your listing should appear. Return to your Local listings account at any time to see the status of your listings. Encourage customers to leave reviews on your listing.

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Free Marketing Secrets - Bing Local

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Dec 192009

NOTE: As of December 19, 2009, there is a backlog of listings. I requested inclusion for two sites on December 20th and have yet to receive my verification PIN for either. Hopefully they’ll catch up soon.

The Bing business listings come from publicly available local telephone listings. To see how this works, go to www.Bing.com and search for – house painting new braunfels, texas. The very first set of listings will be “Listings for house painting near New Braunfels, Texas”. If your business is not listed – and surely you want it to be, click on their “Local Listing Center” link at the bottom of the page. Then, click on the link to “Add new listing”.

Enter your business information. If your business listing appears, click on the “Change your business listing” link in the right-had column and follow the instructions so you can add more information. If your business is not found, follow the instructions to add your business information. In either case, you will need to have a Windows Live ID to proceed. You can create one at this time.

Make sure you add as much information as possible. Use the “supplemental websites” area to add extra links to your listing. For example, a roofing contractor can add additional links to their contact form, customer comments, BBB listing or even reviews on sites like Google local.

When visitors see your listing, they’re already interested in what you have to offer. Make it easy for them to choose you by making it easy to contact you and obvious why you are the best choice! This is definitely worth your time. Of course, if you choose a custom website from On Target, your Bing listing is included!

Bing requires verification for listing additions and changes. You should receive a verification PIN in the mail. Return to your Local Business Listing Center and follow the instructions, logging in with your Windows Live ID.

Encourage your customers to write a review. Make it easy by sending a link right to your business listing.

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Free Marketing Secret - Google Local

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Dec 172009

It’s true. There are numerous free marketing opportunities that you’re not using to your advantage! Here is the first in a series of three.

Google Maps / Google Local

For example, Google the term – facials canyon lake texas. The top results are Local business results for facials near Canyon Lake, TX. If you click on that link, you get about 4 pages of listings. If you wanted your business to be displayed here, you would go to the bottom of the page and click the Information for Business Owners link.

Once you have signed in, click on the “Add a new business” button and enter your information. Make sure to follow through with all all verification procedures.

Suggestions on creating a great listing:

Basic Information
To help readers make their choice, make sure you include as much information as possible. Always enter the official business name and mailing address. Be sure to include your area code with your phone number. Make sure to list your office business website. In the description field, tell readers what makes you stand out from the competition. If your business does not appear on the map in the correct location, click on the “Fix incorrect marker location” link and follow the instructions.

Categories
Choose accurate, descriptive categories. Feel free to create your own category if you don’t see one that fits. Be as specific as you can.

Photos/Videos
If possible, include a photo or video to help your listing stand out.

Additional details
Include anything else you’d like readers to know. For example, list the brands you carry, services you offer, or added perks (like free parking). Your ranking, in part, depends on its relevance compared to the key words entered. So, make sure you list as much information as possible.

When you’re done, encourage your customers to write a review on your listing. This can help improve your ranking. Log in to your Google Local Business Center Dashboard from time to time to see how often your site is appearing in the listings, how often people click on your listing and the top search queries that lead visitors to your listing. You can also add a coupon for free!

Don’t have a website? Need a few changes or a complete overhaul?

When you choose a custom website from On Target, listing creation for Google Local is included. In a brief phone call I’ll show you exactly how easy it can be to get started. Call 830.822.6589 today!

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Marketing Your Website

Website Tips No Responses »

Aug 112009

Put your website address on every piece of Email or Postal Mail your business sends out.
Always include it on business cards, menus, price lists, printed advertisements and brochures.
Have a magnetic sign made for your car. Prices start at under $20.
A great resource for free business cards, magnetic signs and other printed marketing material is Vista Print. Save up to 90% + get FREE Shipping with this link.
Email Marketing and Online Surveys by Constant Contact make it easy to connect with your customers. Try it FREE for 60-Days.
Encourage customers to forward the messages to their friends.
Get well-made,Custom-embroidered logo shirts and apparel by Queensboro at very low prices.

Do you have a partnership with a large company? Ask if they will provide a link to your site on their site. Have you found a great related but non-competing site on-line? Ask them about exchanging links.
More Marketing Suggestions:
Yahoo! Sponsored Search connects businesses and customers online. Sign up and get a $25 credit.

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