South Florida Web Marketing Blog

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I am always faced with the task of  explaining what Web Marketing is – for website owners looking for help with marketing their websites.

Most of the time, I hear that all they want is to be on the top of the results in the search engines, but they do not realize how to get there.

The first thing I have to do is to carefully review their websites and list my observations.  I can then draft an e-mail letting them know what I see and what I feel they need to gain the rankings they want. Sometimes the ranking expectations cannot match the fierce competition, which forces more expensive means to market a website, but other methods can be developed to pull portions of a larger market.

Most of the time,  my honest e-mail will help the client understand what is involved and how I approach  web based marketing. This is how I approach reviewing a website:

• I examine the website to locate the strengths and weaknesses.
• An outline is created of what I need to do:
  - Keyword Analysis
  - Determine how many web pages require Optimization
  - Checking the code on each web page and fixing errors
  - Optimizing each web page with the selected keyword phrases
  - Submissions to the search Engines and Directories
  - On going Link Building
  - Setting up blogs, newsletters and/or forums
  - Pay Per Click campaigns
  - Monthly Web Site Reporting – Visitors, Web Page Rankings, Keywords Used, Landing pages, Demographics, etc.
  - Plus any other processes I feel will enhance their rankings
• A complete marketing plan is developed with the understanding that the client can modify the plan to suite their budget needs.
• The estimated expectations are explained.
• I also explain that there are no guarantees for Natural Optimization – Since the Search Engines can change the algorithms at any time – thus changing the rankings.
• There are reasonable expectations with pay Per Click Marketing, but it can be expensive and must be measured carefully to determine ROI. If the cost outweighs the return, then it is not profitable to do.

The hardest aspect of Marketing, is explaining the process and using the time test ways to increase a web site’s visibility. You also need to be open to new ideas and changes in the market place, like video, social networking and new technology.

I spend the time marketing for my clients, because I know my clients cannot take the time to market for themselves and run their businesses at the same time. You need to have someone in your corner you can trust to do the things that have to be done to produce targeted traffic, yet look for new opportunities to market your website in a profitable way.

Lee Smith
Search Engine Marketing Technician
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