What is Page Rank – And How Do I Improve Mine?

Every business that has a website has a goal: for it to rank high in the search engines like Google and Yahoo.  When people go to the search engines in hopes of a product or service you offer, you want them to find your business.  A higher rank results in increased visitors, typically leading to more sales.  Now that you know what page rank is, let’s talk about how to improve it.

Photo via seomarketingprogram.com

Select the right key phrase.

Your key phrase is a critical part of getting page rank.  If your phrase isn’t competitive, that makes things a little easier.  Make sure your key phrase is in the title and in the body of your page. 

If you phrase is competitive, then you’ll need to make your site worthy of a high ranking.  Think: when you search on Google, the best sites usually rank at the top, right?  Google wants it that way, because of the Google search engine wizards refer bad sites, people will turn to Bing or Yahoo instead of Google.

Earn your high ranking.

When it comes to a high ranking for your business, it’s not about tricks.  The search engines never stop tweaking their formula, so tricks won’t do it.  Make your site worthy of a good ranking.  Attributes that make a website high quality (according to a search engine) include a page that’s relevant to the term being searched for, has an authoritative voice, share useful content, is well-established, is quick to load and has links that work.

Build a quality site. 

Figure out which sites are beating you.  Is you site better than them?  If so, you’ll likely eventually surpass them in ranking, just be patient.  If your site isn’t quite as good, make the necessary improvements and higher rankings will follow.

Seek expert help.

Seeking profession help is going to be very beneficial when it comes to making your page rank escalate.  Professionals are called SEO’s, or search engines optimizers, specialize in improving your page.  These experts know just how to help you determine which keywords you should target to get other sites to link to yours.  To help your page see more traffic and earn more sales, expert help is the way to go.

 

As customers peruse the search engines, it’s crucial your business ranks high on the list.  Concentrate on writing content that’s compelling and original to attract links naturally.  Focus on your own judgment of quality, and add value for Internet users and you’ll see your site steadily rise up the search engine results page.

Is your website search engine friendly?

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Five Reasons Your Company Needs a Blog

Blogging has become a household word, continuing to grow in popularity and likely extremely beneficial to your company. Even if it doesn’t seem like having a blog is necessary or even appropriate for your website, you may be happily surprised with the results. With some writing skills and the knowledge of what your company offers consumers, you could create daily, weekly or even monthly blog posts. And if writing isn’t your forte, you can hire someone to do it for you. What are some top reasons a blog is important to the success of your website?

 

 

 

1.   Provide Company Information and Updates: Blogging relevant industry or business information is helpful to your customers. And this benefit can be two-fold; not only are you keeping your public informed, but they will also reach out to you when in need of products or services. Customers will appreciate learning more about your company and establishing you as a good resource for their needs.

2.   Boost Results of Internet Searches: SEO- we have all heard it, but what does it mean? Search Engine Optimization is defined as the “process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or un-paid search results” and is invaluable to finding success with your company website. Blog posts can feature key words and topics that will help people find you. By maintaining a blog your name will continue to rise in the ranks when someone does a relatable internet search.

3.   Provide Hard Tracking Number Data: Blogs offer analytics that help you to see how many people are tuning in and checking out the content you are sharing on your site. This can give you a real picture of when your posts are having the most impact and also help you see if you are reaching your target audience. The data is very specific and will help you tailor your blogging for maximum impact.

4.   Maximize Your Marketing Dollars: Blogging is a relatively easy and affordable way to drive potential customers and business to your company web page. Linking key words and adding other appropriate web addresses will bring views to your site. And having archived posts means that you could see ongoing returns; an older blog entry can be accessed for years to come without needing to make any modifications.

5.   Utilize Public Relations Opportunities: Getting your company name out to the public is a top priority when building towards success. As a business blogger you will be viewed as an industry leader to many and you may be contacted for interviews. Public relations opportunities like this would help bring recognition and potential financial gains to your business.

In the end, blogging can be a fun experience, not to mention a great way to stay informed with current events and remain an expert for your product or service. How would a blog impact your business?

 

 

 

 

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Four Sizzling Summer Marketing Ideas

Summer is here so get outside and enjoy the weather.  Sunshiny days, blue skies and green grass boost your customer’s moods and they spend additional time outside of their air-conditioned homes.  That makes these warm months a great time to get outdoors and market in fun and creative ways.  We have some sizzling ideas to heat up your summer marketing campaign.

Participate in a community event.  The hot months in many towns accompany street fairs and carnivals, outdoor movie nights, concerts in the park and more.  Your chamber of commerce or city’s parks and recreation department can tell you about the events scheduled for these upcoming months.  Think about which events have potential and plan to host a booth and hand out samples of your product or show off your service.  Use a fishbowl to gather business cards.  Another way you can get your business name out there is to donate products to the event or sponsor an event.  In exchange, ask to have your business name on the marketing pieces related to the event such as programs or flyers.

Host an event for your customers.

Host a party, barbecue or even a wine tasting evening for your clients and prospects.  This is the perfect way to thank your customers, find out in more detail their needs and wants, and encourage more business.   If you own a restaurant or retail store, have a summer-themed event for loyal customers like an after-hours exclusive shopping night, or a specialty five-course dinner at a discounted price.

Fly a flag!

With the 4^th of July around the corner, this is a great idea.  American flags become a landmark because they’re so noticeable.  If you have a flagpole, that’s great.  If not, think about having a flag bracket installed on the side of your building.  Don’t have a brick-and-mortar location? You can give away miniature American flags as you attend summer networking events instead.

Sponsor a giveaway.

Krispy Kreme Donuts took advantage of National Donut Day on June 3^rd giving away a free donut to everyone that walked through their doors.  This gave the popular franchise the change to introduce itself to new customers and also scored some publicity countrywide.  While it isn’t feasible for you to give away something free to every American, that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of this tactic.  Giveaways are an incentive for customers to do something for you.  Sign up for an email newsletter, like you on Facebook or something similar.  Wile everyone who gets a freebie or discount won’t become a customer, you will get a lot of attention.  That’s exactly what you want, right?

What creative ways are you marketing your business this summer?

Photo Resource: www.printcopyfactory.com

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3 Easy Ways to Boost Your Online Credibility

If you have a small local business, or one that is more global, it is typically a good idea to have a shop online that offers your services and products available for sale.  So many people today actually prefer to shop online, even if they have a local store just down the road.  Wondering how to make sure those who visit your website trust you?  Use these three tactics and watch your prospective customers turn into regular customers.

Demonstrate security

Despite the ever-growing prevalence of shopping on the Internet, there’s still a risk for scams.  It is

important that your online site demonstrates how secure you keep information and how trustworthy you are to entice shoppers to choose your store over online competitors.

To show your customers that your business is one that is trustworthy, you can show the measures you can to protect their personal information.  When you have a secure page, your customers will see a lock icon in the browser.  Customers will also see that your web page URL has a ‘S’ at the end.  There are a number of ways to secure your website.

List all prices clearly

Another step to increase trust among your customers is to clearly share your prices, the costs associated with shipping.  Customers are much more likely to make a purchase if the shipping prices are shared clearly on your website.  Other information that builds credibility includes the details of your shipping and policies related to refunds and exchanges.  People aren’t going to move forward with their purchases if you leave them with too many unknown details about your prices.

Feedback from your customers

Don’t you want to hear what people say about a business and it’s products and services before you make a purchase?  Prospective customers want to hear from people who have had experience with your business.  They want to know what people thought of their products and services, and hear if people were pleased with their purchase.  Share your feedback, reviews and testimonials clearly on your website to allow your current and prospective customers to see and read.  This will encourage purchases from those who stop by to visit your website and help them feel like they can trust you.  While some negative and malicious reviews are better left unshared, a few that may be less than idea are okay to share.  Just make sure you show how you fixed the issues with your customer to ensure their satisfaction.

Businesses of all sizes can benefit from building their credibility and reputation online.  Make sure to always have a website that shows your honesty and willingness to ensure your customers are satisfied.  These three tips are a great check list to use as you make sure your website is one that will make prospective customers trust and believe in your business.

Photo via: 365outsource.com

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Businesswomen: Master the Art of Negotiation

Women often debate about the best pieces of career advice women give one another.  Some say books can teach you to be a good leader.  Others argue that the majority of business books are actually written by men, and they simply don’t understand the challenges face in today’s business world.  Here we have compiled the most successful tips that businesswomen often struggle with, focusing on negotiating.  Here are five tips that can help women conquer their nerves, ease their jitters and master the art of negotiation:

Over-prepare.

Prior to enter any type of negotiation setting, get organized from an informational stance.  Jot down the reasons you’re negotiating for what it is that you want.  Once your rationale is clear, compile research that backs your argument.  For instance, if you’re hoping to hire help, assemble the criteria for bringing on an.  What’s the minimum number of people an assistant typically supports?  Does revenue have a minimum amount of revenue it must clear in order to validate hiring help?  Be prepared to express the ways an assistant would add value to the organization.

Stay steady.

Before your meeting, prepare your facts and your demeanor.  You can’t walk into a negotiation without your ducks in a row.  The result can be a complete nightmare.  Demonstrate your optimism and show that you believe a solution that satisfies all parties is reachable.  Boost your self-confidence by focusing on your strong points and abilities; dwell on your successes to help remind yourself of your value.  Role-play the negotiation prior to the real thing with a person your trust beforehand to help control your emotions.

Inquire strategically.

www.forbes.com

In a negotiation setting, questions that require open-ended answers are often times incredibly powerful.  Questions of this nature open up the dialogue and also can earn you additional time if you need to compose your thoughts.  Think along the lines of: Can you elaborate on how you came to this solution? What is preventing us from coming to an agreement?

Strategize silently.

Use silence to your advantage.  When people are nervous they tend to ramble.  So don’t talk too much, you just tend to over-promise or under-sell—things you’ll later regret.  Stay quiet and think so you can prepare for your next move.  Silence also makes your counterpart open up and talk.  Silence helps keep you in the more favorable position.

Identify mutual gains.

Seek out a way that both parties benefit.  A win-win is the best way to negotiate; never look at the situation as a win-loss.  There has to be a positive in their somewhere if you look at the situation with an open, optimistic mentality.

The art of negotiating is one that is tricky, but can be conquered with the right mentality.  Take an optimistic approach and the above tips can help you overcome your fears and struggles and end up on top.

What advice do you have for other businesswomen?

Photo Source: forbes.com

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