flyte blog: small business web marketing blog

How Does Web Marketing Help Your Business?

At flyte we have a model called Holistic Web Marketing; it's a way of explaining how Web marketing helps improve your online visibility, drive qualified leads to your Web site, and convert that traffic into business. There are four pieces:

• Attraction: How do you drive qualified traffic to your site?
• Retention: How do you keep the lines of communication open after they leave your site?
• Conversion: How do you get them to make a buying decision or move further down the sales cycle?
• Measurement: How do measure your site's effectiveness and whether your Web campaigns are working?

We recently created a cheat sheet around Holistic Web Marketing that you might find helpful. You can download the PDF of What Is Holistic Web Marketing? here.

 

Rich Brooks
Web Marketing for Small Business

What Is Web Marketing, Anyway?

Although businesses and organizations have different goals and purposes, most would like to achieve the following:

• increase their online visibility
• drive more qualified prospects to their site
• convert that traffic into business or membership.

These days, almost everyone will agree that a company's Web site is the hub of their marketing; TV ads, print ads, even billboards, will include a URL to drive interested parties to for more information or to order.

While different people have different opinions of what Web marketing is, I feel there are four major components:

• Attraction: How to you drive qualified prospects to visit your site
• Retention: How to keep the lines of communication open after they've left your site
• Conversion: How to get visitors to take a desired action on your site (buy now, picking up the phone, etc.)
• Measurement: How to track your success and continually improve on your site and marketing campaigns.

There are plenty of tools at our disposal as small business owners and entrepreneurs to accomplish this, including search engine optimization, email marketing, blogging and social media to name a few.

If you'd like to learn more in a classroom setting, I'll be teaching Web Marketing for Small Business at the University of Southern Maine starting this Thursday evening from 6 - 8pm, and three additional classes after that.

Just remember to bring the teacher instructor an apple.

Rich Brooks
Web Marketing for Small Business

Email Marketing is Sexy, Dammit!

While everyone (myself included) is fawning over Twitter, Facebook and other social media marketing tools, you have to feel a little bit sorry for email marketing.

After all, email marketing has been around for a while and has proven itself again and again as an essential tool for the small business or entrepreneur. So why do we cast our old friend away just because a new, sexier tool appears? Where is our loyalty?

"But what about spam?" I hear you ask, "And spam filters, which prevent so many of my messages from reaching their intended audience...even for opt-in lists?"

True, spam and the sometimes effective antidote, the spam filter, have reduced the effectiveness and deliverability rates of emails. However, do you honestly believe that all of your 500 (or 5,000) followers on Twitter see all your tweets? Especially if they are following a couple thousand people?

"Who needs emails now that we have RSS?" you ask. 

Ah, yes, RSS. The very cool tool of professional bloggers and new media evangelists. A spam-resistant tool that keeps our inboxes clean. Dirty little secret: if I find a blog essential I subscribe to the email version. That way I know I'm going to see it. Even though my Firefox start page is filled with RSS feeds from some of the most important Web marketing blogs out there, I just don't notice them very often.

"Email is for old people, like you. People my age use social media sites to stay in touch."

First of all, you're not too old for me to put you over my knee, so watch your tone.

Yes, I love sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. However, all social media sites leverage emails in some way. You generally have to visit those sites to interact with them, which is why LinkedIn sends you group updates and network invitations via email, Facebook forwards all emails and wall posts and photos you've been tagged in to your email, and Twitter emails you direct messages.

Yes, you can shut these off, but these sites are wise enough to realize that people have their emails open almost all day, and it's a way to make sure they can get in front of them.

If you're looking to grow your business online, then you need to include email marketing in your marketing campaigns. We've found that your email subscriber base is often the highest converting group when it comes to promoting new products and services, and especially events.

To learn how to grow your subscriber base with quality leads, and how to integrate it into a holistic Web marketing plan, you may want to check out Web Marketing for Small Business, a course I'm teaching at the University of Southern Maine on four Thursday evenings, from 9/17 - 10/8.

Rich Brooks
I'm Too Sexy for Email

The Web Marketing Pie: Bet You Can't Eat Just One (Slice)

Apparently, Nicki Hicks has a sweet tooth.

Nicki is flyte's search engine marketer, helping clients rank higher at the search engines and drive more qualified leads to their sites.

Besides performing keyword analyses, running link building campaigns, teaching swimming and cheer leading, she's also become a great writer. She's been sharpening her skills over at the Maine SEO blog.

The other day she wrote an article on Web marketing, and suggested that I could use it for the upcoming issue of flyte log, our monthly email newsletter. Until now, I have been writing every issue since 1997.

Maybe she thinks I've been working too hard.

In any case, it's a great article for any one who is trying to get a better understanding of Web marketing, and how a business can better promote themselves online. She talks about Web sites, blogging, social media, search engine optimization (SEO), PPC, article marketing and email marketing, and how they all can fit into a Holistic Web marketing campaign.

And she wraps it all up in a flaky pie crust. I don't exactly understand how she did it, so you'll have to read the article yourself. You may never look at pie the same way again.

The Web Marketing Pie by Nicki Hicks.

Rich Brooks
...Mmmmm, pie

Photo Credit by Pauladamsmith

Web Marketing Course for Small Business

It's hard to think about school starting up while classic rock stations still have Alice Cooper's anthem on heavy rotation.

Even if you're not quite ready to shop for back-to-school fashions, it's never too early to register for Web Marketing for Small Business, the four-week, eight-hour course I teach at the University of Southern Maine through their Center for Continuing Education.

If you're a small business owner, marketer, or thinking about starting your own business, you can't go wrong with this course. We'll review:

• Search engine optimization
• Email marketing
• Blogging
• Social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.)
• E-commerce tips
• Web site analytics and
• How to build a Web site that sells

If you're wondering why your competitors rank higher than you, or how you can leverage your Web site to grow your business, than you should register for Web Marketing for Small Business.

Just remember to bring your teacher an apple.

Rich Brooks
Checking My Seat for Tacks as We Speak

What is Holistic Web Marketing?

What is Holistic Web Marketing? At flyte we use this model to explain our integrated approach to online success. A static Web site is no longer enough; you need a coordinated Web marketing strategy to reach the widest audience possible.

Holistic Web marketing consists of four parts:

• Attraction: How to drive quality traffic to your Web site. [Tools: search engine optimization, blogging, social media]
• Retention: How to keep the conversation going after they’ve left your site. [Tools: email marketing, social media]
• Conversion: How to get people to make a buying decision at your site, whether it’s clicking on a “Buy Now” button, completing a contact form, or picking up the phone. [Tools: web site]
• Measurement: How to analyze your traffic to make ongoing improvements to both your Web site and your Internet marketing for better results. [Tools: analytics]

We believe that you need to address and integrate all four pieces of Holistic Web Marketing for long-term success.

On Thursday, May 14th at 12pm EDT, I'll be leading a one hour Webinar (plus 30 minutes of Q&A) examining how small businesses can use the holistic Web marketing model to grow their own business. We'll look at search engine optimization, email marketing, blogging, social media and your own Web site as tools to increase online visibility, drive more qualified leads to your site, and generate more online business.

The cost of the Webinar is normally $49, but if you enter coupon code "theeconomystinks" you'll save $15. That's our stimulus package to you.

Learn more and register now!

Rich Brooks
Web Marketing for Small Biz

Autoresponder Limits on Constant Contact

On a long ago post I talked about Constant Contact vs. some other email newsletter services. Recently, "DannyeW" left the following comment:

According to the woman at Constant Contact, they only allow 5 messages with their autoresponder system....CC is much better which is why I was hoping to use them for my ezine and to build my list. However, I also need more than 5 message to send out ecourses, etc.
Advice?

Since my original post is so old, I figured I'd "elevate" the comment to a fresh post.

I hadn't used the autoresponder yet from Constant Contact (CC) so I went to investigate. It appears DannyeW is right: there is currently a limit of five messages (emails) you can send out from a single autoresponder. Although I'd like CC to remedy this, here's something you can do yourself.

If you have more than 5 messages you'd like to send via autoresponder, employ the cliff hanger approach: in the fifth email tease the answer or solution you offer, but only to those who sign up for the 2nd batch of autoresponders.

I wouldn't try this more than once, and I'd let subscribers know that they won't have to resubscribe again.

Not a perfect solution, but you will find that those who sign up for both autoresponders will turn out to be your best prospects.

If you'd like to give Constant Contact a free spin you can do so now.

Rich Brooks
Email Marketing Guy

Marketing is Your Stimulus Package

You may not be surprised to find out that home sales are down. Car sales are down. People are less likely to go out for dinner, or to the movies, or to buy a new HDTV.

But here's the thing: people are still buying homes. People are still buying cars. In the last month I've seen people eating out, enjoying a movie, and going to see a show. In fact, during my short commute I often see big HDTVs in the windows of the houses I pass.

In other words, the economy has not stopped. People still need your products and services. Maybe not as many as before the economy tanked, and maybe they're taking longer to make a buying decision, but people are buying.

So, who are they buying from?

As the pool of potential buyers dries up, a lot of businesses are taking a wait-and-see approach, or retrenching, or coming up with other euphemisms for putting their head in the sand and waiting for some stimulus package to make everything alright.

Does that describe your approach?

Are people buying from the companies that have curtailed their advertising spending? That have stopped blogging? That aren't putting any money into search engine optimization?

An economic downturn can be a boon for many companies: those of us who realize this is the time to market, to blog, to improve one's search engine visibility. (I'm still not sold on advertising, but it depends on your business.)

As the pendulum swings further into the recession there may be a knee-jerk reaction to cut your advertising and marketing budget. Unfortunately, you'll miss out on the opportunities that are going on right now.

By continuing to market your products you'll continue to get sales in the downturn, and you'll be in a better position to take advantage when things turn around. (And yes, they will turn around.)

Marketing doesn't have to be expensive. Improving your site's search engine visibility, or blogging more often, or sending out a few more email newsletters, or engaging in social media can all be low-cost, high-return ways of staying ahead in a down economy.

Let your competition bide their time and lick their wounds; you should use this opportunity to find new customers and new opportunities.

Rich Brooks
Marketing is Your Stimulus Package

Web Marketing Course for Entrepreneurs and Small Business

I can't believe that we're just one week away from the first class of Web Marketing for Entrepreneurs and Small Business over at the University of Southern Maine.

Well, actually I can, as I spent most of yesterday afternoon updating and revamping the search engine optimization content for the class. And I've blocked out plenty of hours this week to review the rest of my content and build out the social media component. But the "I can't believe" part stresses the fact that it's only a week away, and if you were planning on coming you've got to get a move on.

Who should go? Well, you should be in driving distance of Portland, Maine. (Yes, one of these days I'll create an online version, but not today.) Assuming that you can get to the campus, this course is geared to small business owners, marketers and entrepreneurs who are looking to build a Web presence to grow their business.

Topics will include search engine visibility (how do you out rank your competition,) email marketing, business blogs, social media, e-commerce, and building a Web site that will convert prospects into customers.

The course is held over four Monday nights, 11/10/2008 - 12/1/2008, from 6pm - 8pm at the Abromson Center on the campus of the University of Southern Maine (directions.) The cost is $205, but you need to pre-register for the class, so...

Register Now!

We'll be spending class time reviewing students' current Web sites (when applicable) and making on the spot recommendations to help you rank higher, drive more qualified leads to your site, and convert more prospects into customers. So what are you waiting for?

Register Now!

Rich Brooks
Oh Captain, Your Captain

Use Multiple Channels to Reach More People

This week I sent out Does Your Small Business Really Need a Social Media Strategy through our email newsletter, flyte log.

My friend, Josh Hurley, sent me this screen capture that showed my email had ended up in his spam folder:

Hell, I got lucky here. Many ISPs have such tight junk mail protection that the email may not have even reached Josh in the first place. But, as I told Josh, email wasn't my only delivery vehicle.

• I archived this article on my Web site
• I blogged about the article here and on the Internet Marketing 101 blog I write for MaineBusiness.com
• I Tweeted about it on at least two occasions, and used Ping.fm so that my message would also update my Facebook page, my Plurk account, and a half dozen other sites where my status gets updated.

I can't control every junk filter out there, just like I can't control when the bridge will go up and make me late for work. However, by having multiple distribution channels I can reach a wider audience and get past more gatekeepers. It's all about the redundancy.

Rich Brooks
You Can Say That Again