Archive for September, 2010

Top 10 iPhone Apps You Must Have for Online Business Marketing

Friday, September 17th, 2010

Running a business can be stressful, and sometimes you may feel you don’t have enough time to get everything done. Online business marketing doesn’t stop with your desktop computer. Business apps for iPhone can help you save time, but with so many apps out there, how do you choose the ones that will be most helpful to you? Here is a guide to some must-have apps for business.

1. USPS
Track and confirm packages, find local post offices, and look up zip codes when you need them. Great for businesses that do a lot of shipping.

2. UPS
Similar to the USPS app, you can track packages and find local UPS stores. However, if you have a UPS ID, you can access even more features, like accessing your address book and payment info, and print out labels.

3. FedEx
If FedEx is your shipping service of choice, they also have an app, with similar services to that of the USPS and UPS apps.

4. PayPal
For a safe and secure way to make financial transactions, the PayPal app allows you to send money, check your balance, and view past transactions. This is a great app to have if you run an eBay store.

5. eBay
Another great app if you have an eBay store, or if you’re just an avid eBay shopper. Track the status of your auctions, get notifications when a status changes, and much more. This is a great app to have if you’re bidding on item and can’t be tied to your desk when the auction is coming to a close, and you want to get in that last-minute bid.

6. Google Sync
If you use Gmail for business, you’ll want to get Google Sync, which synchronizes Google Mail, Calendar, and Contacts with your iPhone.

7. Stocks
The Stocks app is one that comes with your iPhone, so no download required! This app is pretty basic, but allows you to get up-to-date stock info.

8. Bill Trackers
This iPhone app helps you organize your bills. You can set up your monthly bills, get reminders when they’re due, keep track of how much you paid and when you paid it, and keeps those confirmation numbers too.

9. MileBug
This application helps you keep track of miles and other travel expenses when you’re on the road. If you travel a lot for business, this app is a must-have.

10. Credit Card Terminal
When you need to accept credit card payments on the go, this app will allow you to easily accept payments and let you know right away if the charge was accepted or declined. An invaluable tool for any business that accepts credit cards.

Top 3 Tips for Successful Article Marketing

Monday, September 13th, 2010

Article marketing is a great way to build links to your Website as well as increase your credibility and build your online reputation. However, there is more to article marketing than just writing as much content as possible and submitting your articles to popular directories. Here are the top 3 tips for article marketing success.

Create an enticing headline. Capture the interest of your audience and dare them to read the article. Including a keyword in the title is important, but what good is an article that comes up in the search results that no one is interested in reading? Make your article click-worthy and search engine-friendly.

Provide useful content and don’t advertise. Although the point of article marketing is to drive traffic to your Web site, that doesn’t mean your articles should be an advertisement for your product or service. Write about something interesting that’s related to the field. This will increase your online credibility and help your company’s reputation. This will make people more likely to try whatever you’re selling. Don’t forget to sprinkle relevant keywords throughout the article.

Promote your article. After you write and submit your article to directories, promote it using your social media outlets. Tweet about it, post a link on Facebook and LinkedIn, add a link to your blog and company Web site and let people know about your recent article in your monthly newsletter. Using social media networks will get the word out about your article and help drive traffic to your site faster.

Google Instant – What Does it Mean for Business?

Monday, September 13th, 2010

Google’s newest search trend tries to guess exactly what you want as you type in the search bar. Get a special insider’s view about its newest search technology from Google itself as NBC probes the answers.

Behind Google Instant

What does this type of technology mean for business? From an SEO firm’s perspective – SEO is now more important than ever. With Google’s Instant search as the video details, searchers won’t have to scroll through pages of search results to find what they want. And wouldn’t it be awesome if your targeted search term was on Google’s Instant list too?

What do you think about Google Instant and its impact on business for 2010 and beyond. Send us your comments.