Using Google Keywords Tool

When making decisions about marketing campaigns, PPC campaigns and general business strategies, it is wise to utilize any and all tools available to you. The more the merrier definitely applies here. One of the best tools around is Google keyword tool. Using this free application, you can learn much about the direction your business can and should go for maximum growth.

Here are the steps to using Google’s keyword tool for research:

• Choose the country or countries in which you make marketing efforts. You can also choose languages in this field as well. For those businesses that target more than one country or language, multiple options can be chosen by performing a “Control + Click”.

• Enter Keywords in one of two ways: by choosing your own keywords, or by entering a specific URL from which to pull words. By using a URL, Google will pull keywords off of the site you input and generate a list of related keywords. When choosing your own keywords, you can import words from your Adwords campaign or use a list from a team brainstorming meeting.

Once your words are entered into the search field, click to use synonyms or not to use them. Sometimes using synonyms can return irrelevant keywords, but it is recommended to try it when looking for new keywords. Click “Get Keyword Ideas”.

Using a URL to obtain keywords can result in new words you may not have thought of previously. Here’s how: perform a Google search for your general niche. For example, if you sell patio chairs, perform a search for “patio chairs” and use the top ranking search result as the URL for your keyword search. Using your competitors URLs for keyword research is a very wise move.

• To get the most relevant results for your keyword search, use Exact Match keywords. Once your keywords are displayed, look through columns and remove any columns that do not contain relevant information. This will simplify your search process. Also, sort your results based on relevance to save time.

• Once you have simplified your keyword list online, you can download the list into spreadsheet form so you can work with it offline. This is where you can remove keywords that are not completely relevant to your site.

If your site sells a variety of products, performing a search based on specific lines within your inventory will return the best keywords for you to use in marketing your business.

Projecting The Best Possible Business Image

“Mirror, Mirror on the wall..” We’ve all heard this phrase countless times since childhood. Rarely does one sit back to ponder the meaning behind the scene of Snow White, in which the ghastly stepmother has trained her trusty reflective friend to give just the answer she sought; but it really does give you something to think about as a business owner.

 

How often do you really take a step back from the daily grind of your business to ponder what image you are presenting? If this isn’t something you are doing – or if you are gazing into a trick mirror of your own – then how can you possibly reach the goals you have set before you?

 

Creating and maintaining a professional image is especially important for those who run a small business from home. In a home business, there is the air of relaxation and casualness that wouldn’t necessarily be present in an office environment. Taking certain specific steps can help you build your home business effectively and professionally – even from your living room.

 

Ok, the living room may not be the best choice here. Let’s just get very basic. When working from home, setting up an organized home office is very important. Working in an open room rarely works for anyone since there are so many distractions.

 

The phone is an important aspect of any business; but here we are addressing small home businesses. Take care to maintain a positive, professional attitude on the phone regardless of the type of business you run. Using proper grammar and speaking clearly and effectively to your clients and suppliers will set you off on the right foot as far as creating a good business image goes.

 

When speaking with anyone related to your business, you need to be in a quiet environment. No kids, dogs or birds should be flapping at your feet when you are taking a business call. Additionally, if you are in a place where you have nothing to write on or cannot give the caller your full attention, it may be best to let the call go to voice mail. Speaking of voice mail; when you run a small business, changing your voice mail message daily (with the day and date mentioned) presents an image of conscientiousness that everyone will notice and appreciate.

 

One thing that many people do when they run a business in which they deal with clients is to give their time too freely. Think about this: You would not just walk into your physician’s office if you wanted to have a checkup. No, you would make an appointment because you respect your physician’s time. Your time is just as valuable and your clients must understand this.

 

State your business hours, or the times that you can meet with clients. Do this even if this is your very first client and you have nothing else on the books. This sets the tone for your new working relationship and tells the client that you respect your own time. When they see this, they too will respect your time as they should.

 

While there are other steps you can take to build up a good image through marketing and advertising, the inner workings make the best impression and need to be handled right away.

Moving Ahead During the Recession

In tough economic times, it is only natural that business owners become frightened. Millions are faced with the reality of less money coming in, which means less money to spend. We have seen the affects of that over the past year as countless small businesses have closed their doors due to poor sales numbers. Who wouldn’t be frightened when observing this day in and day out for months on end?

This is the time for business owners, especially those on the web, to take a moment – a deep breath – and think very clearly. Why? Because it is possible for your business to actually experience a time of growth during times of recession if you play your cards right. While it can cause uneasy feelings to continue spending when profits are down, a 2003 study proved that doing so can lead a company through a recession and give them a hefty advantage on the competition long after the recession has ended.

The way to move full steam ahead is to not jump on the bandwagon of trimming fat and slashing prices to non-profitable levels. Downturned economic times are when you should focus on your company’s core competitive strengths, foster relationships with customers, and improve the effectiveness of your management team (or management skills of the one manager you have). Additionally, this is the time to hold prices at profitable levels.

One step to take is to closely monitor your competitors. See, these are times when many of those you are up against will take drastic measures: decreasing or completing ending marketing campaigns and investing, cutting necessary staff and adding to the work load of those team members still standing, putting off necessary research and product development plans. These are just a few of the ways companies are scaling back, but all are to their detriment. While cuts are a necessary part of surviving a recession, you can come out on top by giving serious consideration to where cuts can be made, and also where you may be able to continue spending.

It is important to understand that continued spending in a time where we seem to live in economic purgatory may cut into your personal pocketbook. This is the risk that is taken on when one decides to go into business; and one that can be handled gingerly throughout hard times, leading to long term growth and profitability.

When times are tough, you as a business owner can take advantage of lowered advertising prices or lower prices from your suppliers. There are several ways in which you can maintain revenues and keep your business afloat if you consistently seek them. Another aspect of taking advantage of the economic climate is in the talent pool. There are so many people in the job market right now with stellar qualifications, making this a time to snatch up a few people to add to your organization is a great idea. With few jobs to choose from and competition so high, you have the opportunity to add highly skilled and qualified team members to your staff that you may not have been able to get before.

Growth is possible even in times when people are tightening their purse strings. Look through your organization to find how you can improve client relations, build up staff morale, and continue to press onward and upward.

Analyzing Your Business

Every now and then, it is good to reflect upon the goals you set forth for your business. This should be relatively easy because the main goal (your version of success) should always be right in the forefront of your mind. Even in all the daily activity that goes into building and maintaining the growth of a business, the vision is at the very core of all that you do.

 

To go hand in hand with this reflection is a thorough analysis of how the internal workings of your business – your staff, your vendors, your product or service – are measuring up to the tasks that will get you where you want to be. This can be one of the most important jobs a business owner can take on periodically, especially in times when the economy is affecting most businesses.

 

Looking at the specific strengths and weaknesses of your business will give you a clear picture of where you need to make changes in order to achieve optimal growth and will also show you where opportunity lies. For instance, new trends in the marketplace may pose somewhat of a threat if your business is not utilizing powerful tools that are out there; but by recognizing these new tools, you can evaluate their performance and put them to use once you have proven they are effective.

 

Here’s what you’ve got to remember: be completely honest in your evaluation of each member of your staff and each vendor you work with, as well as the value of your product or service. Without complete honesty, this is simply a work of fiction and a waste of time. It’s never easy admitting to shortcomings of your own, let alone pointing out the shortcomings of your customer service staff or your managers. Difficult as it may be, it must be done. This is your business – your dreams – at stake.

 

When listing strengths of your business, you need to be somewhat stingy. This means that the strengths you list need to be above and beyond what your competitors offer. If others’ shipping times are the same as yours, then you could not list that as a strength. But if you offer some sort of a guarantee that they do not, this could be a strength.

 

When considering weaknesses, you’ve got to go through your entire organization; from individual team members to tools of the trade to your actual product or service. Are you offering what people want? Is your customer service filling orders in a timely manner and always professional on the phone? Is there specific expertise that is missing from your organization? Are all of your suppliers working well to fill the orders you provide?

 

As you know, the name of the game is opportunity. And for those who are truly motivated, opportunity is found everywhere. This means that you can find opportunity even in your weaknesses. For instance, the supplier who is not working out so well will lead you to search for a new supplier. Doing this just may land you into the position of getting better deals on products and increasing revenue, not to mention happy customers who get their products on time!

 

Analysis is a must for anyone serious about reaching their goals in business and in life. While it may be a somewhat painful process, no pain no gain!

Successful Marketing

In the world of clicks and conversions, the way to success is in building a website that one can feel comfortable perusing through. You want your customers to feel like they can kick off their shoes and stay awhile; for the truth is, if they don’t do this on your site they will do it on someone else’s. This is true regardless of the type of site you are building, and whether or not you are offering a service or selling the latest and greatest of products.

If you’re new to the internet world and just getting y our site off the ground, then you’re starting at square 1, which is actually a really good place to be! If you’re site has been up and running for awhile and not producing the results you’d like, then paying a visit to square one could reward you with some great benefits. Square one is simple. Figure out who your target audience is. This is a basic fundamental that, believe it or not, some people still miss.

The reason why it is so vitally important to pinpoint your target audience is because every last bit of marketing you put out there is geared towards meeting their needs. If you don’t market to your target, you will, well…miss the mark. You can determine your target audience by considering the following generalities: what is the age range of those who would benefit from your product or service? Is your product or service a necessity or a luxury item? Would men or women be more drawn to your product or service? While there are other questions you can ask yourself, these can help you take the first steps in your internet marketing campaign.

It seems that most people looking to make a decision about a product or service will do so by gathering information they find online. Therefore, it will help you to also perform your own online research so you can know what your competition is doing – and then do it better.

One way to do anything better is to include  video in your marketing campaign. While it seems an obvious winner, there are still plenty of sites out there that do not employ the power of video, and they will fall behind as more and more sites catch on to this trend. Finding a way, any way, to place video on your website,

or in your marketing campaigns will set you apart from others and give customers a reason to stay on your site longer.

Regardless of whether or not you use video to do this, the ultimate goal is to convey that you have something of value to offer visitors. This can be your best product, if you have many, or it can be the stellar service you can give them that nobody else can. You just need to remember that there ARE others out there who can offer the same service you are selling, or sell the same product. The question comes down to who can do it better. It is through your marketing that you show you are the clear front runner.

The Way To a Truly Powerful Press Release

Using press releases to build up your company’s reputation is a smart idea. First of all, press releases are an economical way to advertise. Second, a good press release tells the public about you or your company in third person form, which can – if written well – come across as a recommendation. But jumping right into writing a press release isn’t something for everyone. If you are really in a hurry to get started with putting good information out on the web, then I would highly recommend hiring a professional to write up your press release for you.

Why hire a professional when you are the one who knows all about your company? Simple: because the general public does not want to read a long information sheet detailing the history of ABC, Inc. Writing a release that contains general company information or what your company has done this week (unless it leans to the philanthropic side) will simply not get anyone’s attention.

The key to press releases is that you want to grab the reader’s attention in a short amount of time. Think about it like this: you wouldn’t strike up a conversation with someone in line at Starbucks and tell them the entire history of your company. If anything, you may make a few statements that will entice your target audience to want to know more. This is what you want your press release to do – just grab someone’s attention and get them to link back to your company page.

Step one is a great headline. You’ve got to put yourself in the shoes of the person you want to attract and think of a catchy headline that will make them read the entire press release. Say your company donates to a charity such as the local blood bank; your press release could say “ABC, Inc. Is Saving Lives Again”. This is marketing folks. If you’re boring, you won’t get read.

Next, your press release will need to be short, sweet and to the point. Avoid placing anything mundane into a press release. Also avoid putting in more information than absolutely necessary. Press releases need not be any longer than 200-400 words to grab attention. Remember, you can always link back to a full document with further information on what you are advertising. The point of your press release is to tease the reader to want to read more.

Press releases can also be a part of your SEO campaigns. Just as your web pages contain certain keywords with the right density so should anything you release out onto the web. Optimized releases have worked to increase rankings as well as traffic to a site, so go for it! Not everyone is set up for writing, so if you haven’t begun making the most of this marketing effort because writing your own press release is a daunting task, then find the help of a professional. The rewards are well worth the investment.