Posts Tagged ‘web internet marketing’

Web and Internet Marketing Trends: Will the iPad Change the Way We Search?

Monday, February 1st, 2010

webinternetmarketingNow that the dust has settled after last week’s announcement of Apple’s iPad, we can get down to what’s really important, at least for those of us involved in Web and Internet marketing: how will the iPad change online search?

The truth is, the jury’s still out on whether the iPad will be another revolutionary device along the lines of the iPod and iPhone, or if it will suffer a similar fate to Apple’s first major tablet idea, the Newton.

Plenty of Web and Internet marketing professionals have already weighed in on the pros and cons of the iPad, so we’re not going to do that here. Instead, we’d like to focus on the iPad’s strengths and explore how it may affect the way we use online search.

While a lot of people, Web and Internet marketing professionals included, aren’t fully convinced that the iPad will completely replace the good old-fashioned book, it’s effectiveness as a reference tool seems pretty solid. The iPad will make it easy for users to access an online dictionary and thesaurus. Users will also be able to look up topics on Wikipedia. Imagine that you’re reading an ebook about Italy and the city of Genoa is mentioned. Not sure where Genoa is? Use your iPad with Google Maps to locate it. Then look it up on Wikipedia and get a quick rundown of the city’s history.

The second thing the iPad could change the way people search is through what we’ll call the rise of kitchen computing. The Internet has been a boon to chefs. There are thousands, actually hundreds of thousands of recipes, online. But right now getting a recipe online means one of three compromises is necessary. You’ll either have to print out the recipe, bring your laptop into the kitchen, or keep running back and forth between your desktop computer and the kitchen. But with the iPad, it will be simple to access an online recipe and prop up your iPad in a convenient corner of the kitchen. Web and Internet marketing professionals should take note: the iPad could signal an increase in searches for “how to” or “service” articles. Now that people can carry their iPad to their car, down to their basement or into their backyard, one can expect car repair, home repair and yard maintenance instructionals to become even more popular.

Even if the iPad does become a common accessory, it probably won’t completely replace the desktop PC or the laptop. That means Web and Internet marketing experts should still optimize their Websites for traditional search. But the potential for a new facet of online search is definitely possible. Web and Internet marketing professionals would be wise to pay attention to the iPad’s impact so they can get in early on this burgeoning market.

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Posted in Ethical Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing Consulting | No Comments »

Google Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Shady Internet Marketing Group

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

internetmarketingHow can you tell the difference between an ethical Internet marketing company and an unethical one? A good rule of thumb is if they’re being sued by Google, then they’re probably not on the up-and-up. It was really only a matter of time, but it looks like Google is finally putting an end to those online ads that are using Google’s name and trying to trick people into ordering work-at-home kits.

Google filed a lawsuit Monday in the federal court in Salt Lake City against an Internet marketing company called Pacific Webworks and some other unnamed defendants. If you haven’t seen the online ads, a recent Cnet article has a good example of what they look like. They seem to be delivered as online ads, pop-up ads or promotional emails. Carrying the banner of a nonexistent newspaper, the LA News, they look more like newspaper headlines than online ads.

Interested consumers are asked to pay an “instant access” fee or a “shipping and handling fee” for a DVD that is supposed to explain how they can make money with the program. The lawsuit states that those who pay the fees receive a DVD that contain viruses or send them to Google’s online help center, which is a free site to use.

It should be pretty clear that this is an abhorrent scheme. Hopefully Google’s lawsuit will have a quick effect. Thankfully, Google has been doing other things to combat this scam, such as addressing the issue in a recent Google blog post. And Websites like the always-valuable Snopes and RipOffReport have also taken on the issue. If you haven’t visited them yet, both Snopes and RipOffReport are excellent resources for anyone looking for the veracity of a company or scheme like this. Remember, online Internet marketing scams aren’t always as easy to spot as this latest faux-Google one. It’s always a good idea to check out what others are saying about it before you sign up for anything on the Web.

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Posted in Business Marketing Online, Ethical Search Engine Optimization | No Comments »

5 Tips for Online Marketing Stratiegies: How to Retweet for the Maximum Impact

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

onlinemarketingstrategiesIn the old days of the Web, before social media fundamentally changed online marketing strategies, the secret of getting people to keep returning to your Website was providing great, relevant content. But these days, the secret to getting users’ attention is to produce content that catches on with other bloggers and Twitter users—fast. When using Twitter, the more you get retweeted, the more new followers you’ll pick up. The more followers you get on Twitter means the more fans you get on your FaceBook page, and the more effective your online marketing strategies will be.

If Twitter is a part of your online marketing strategies, then you’re already doing more than most businesses online. But it’s important to write tweets that will get repeated by a lot of people. That means it can’t be all about you. You need to provide value. That may seem like a lot of work, but it isn’t once you learn the basics. Here are 5 online marketing strategies for Twitter that will get your tweets repeated.

  1. Don’t use all of Twitter’s 140 characters—Writing relevant information with 140 characters can be tough enough. So why use less? Because that makes them easier to retweet. Twitter users won’t have to worry about editing or abbreviating words.
  2. Mix the professional and the personal—No one expects your every tweet to be poetry. But your online marketing strategies should include some engaging pieces from your everyday life. It shouldn’t all be about business and providing interesting links. Give your followers one or two glimpses into your personal life every day.
  3. Add something when retweeting—Like retweeting interesting content you come across? Great. That’s a crucial part of all Twitter online marketing strategies. But for if you want to retweet stuff that will get you retweeted as well, be sure to add something extra. This makes you appear more engaged, and it makes people want to retweet you.
  4. Use your Twitter bio and your URL to build credibility—Good online marketing strategies dictate that all blogs should have informative bios. The same goes for Twitter accounts. Make sure you include your full name, then include a link to your Website. Don’t have a Website? Then include a link to your LinkedIn page. That makes it possible for others to quickly check your online footprint to see who you are.
  5. Include a link—Twitter is a great way to implement online marketing strategies, as it lets you link to blogs, news articles, photos and videos. In order to save as much space as you can, you can shorten URLs with bit.ly or ow.ly. When linking to content, be sure to include your own comment. Your comment could be a simple statement like “interesting,” or it could be a short sentence that includes your opinion. Effective online marketing strategies should have you backing up your comments with links that support your statements.

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Posted in Business Social Networking, Buzz Marketing | 3 Comments »