What is in a Domain Name, and Why You Must Choose Carefully

There is so much competition in all sectors online; websites are sprouting from all corners, new products and services are being launched daily and entrepreneurs are exploring new sectors with a zeal never experienced before. Furthermore, the tough economic environment in many economies has led to joblessness. Most professionals who lose their jobs turn to the web either by setting up private online businesses of offer their services online.

So many domain  extensions to choose

The competitive nature of online business means that only the very best get the recognition, those who get everything right; from website design, to domain name, topnotch web copy, and search engines optimization. Finding the right domain name for your website is a step towards the right direction. A good name is characterized by a number of factors discussed below.

1. Keep it Short: Who said anyone is interested in reading your life history just from your domain name? Very long names will not be remembered, even if they are read. It is very likely that your desired domain name is already taken, but you can still come up with a close version that won’t sound like an essay. At its worst, settle for a three word name, but two and one are the best.

2. Business Name and SEO Friendly: Whenever search results are brought up by the search engines, the surfer is likely to choose one that is placed higher in search results, but with the right most appropriate name and content. It is very unwise to go for a domain name that is not related to your core business. This will not only confuse your site’s users but also affect the branding of your business-which is essential to its success. Furthermore, your domain name plays a tremendous role in optimizing your website for search engines.

3. Unique: Just like your business and products, your domain name must stand out from the crowd. There are many names that have already been taken but keep working with the words and if your desired .com version is taken, and you are so convinced that the same name is your best, then settle for .net or another version. 

This should however be done based on the geographical proximity of the other name. If the other site targets same customers in similar regions, try finding a new name-you might lose customers to competing site in future.

4. .Com Extension: You might think that you are spoilt for choice when it comes to domain name extensions, but it is not true. There are various extensions to choose from like .net, .tv, .org e.t.c as well as country-specific extensions. Of all the extensions, .com is always the best and should therefore be your first priority when choosing a domain name for your business. If you target users from your country of residence, you might want to purchase a country-specific name extension like .US, .UK, .AUS, among others.

5. Avoid Hyphens and Numbers: Many people who find out that their expected domain names are already taken usually resort to hyphenation and use of numbers. This is not recommended as surfers are unlikely to memorize the hyphens and numbers on your name, if possible, just don’t use them.

Registering the right domain name for your online business is important to the success of your venture. You must therefore come up with a perfect name that reflects your core business, memorable and unique.

The Significance Of Social Media, Search Engines Optimization and Branding

Social networking sites have tremendously transformed social interactions and business operations. Initially, Facebook and Twitter were mainly used by individuals to connect with their friends and share the latest rumors in town. Today, it is a different story especially to entrepreneurs who use these sites to advance their businesses and companies are outdoing each other on social networking platforms as they strive to expand and brand their online and offline businesses.

YouTube is always streaming with the latest and most creative videos that don’t just end with the entertainment, but some link to “view more.” Everyone wants to have as many Facebook likes and Twitter followers as possible. LinkedIn connections are increasing and some entrepreneurial brains are bombarding their connections with offers every other day. 

Interaction is fine, but as you interact, business must feature. Links are clicked, products are being added to shopping carts, friends are chatting about the latest offers from one shop or the other and life is commercial. The most important question is; how well can you use social networks to advance your business, optimize your site for search engines, market your brand and even respond to your clients and customers’ inquiries?

Page Customization: Branding is not one of the easiest business processes, because it calls for the creativity. Is your Facebook or Twitter page customized? Do they resemble your website’s design; including the colors, logo, URL, graphics and other details that are exclusive to your business? If you have the usual pages, then you need to find a web designer to handle this for you, you have to stand out and appeal to your connections.

How Authentic Are Your Links: Twitter might allow only 140 characters for every tweet, but your website has no such restriction. Social media marketers aim at attracting unique traffic as well as content readership to their business sites. This is done by sharing their new posts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others through the inclusion of live links leading back to their websites.

It is criminal therefore to add either a false or broken link to your posts as you not only mess up your brand, but you lose valuable traffic that is important for the search engines optimization. Don’t rush, review the links and post before “sharing what is in your mind.”

Don’t Be Lazy: It doesn’t matter how busy you are, everyone is, at least somehow. It is not important whether you have no time to write unique and informative content and then share with your social media connections. Many people copy and paste other people’s content and parade it on their sites as their own. They even go ahead and share with their connections. If you find interesting information anywhere on the web, then acknowledge the author, share the link or rewrite it to utmost uniqueness.

Give Your Connections a Break: Who said it is always about business-your business? You must learn to share other information that concerns others, you social media connections will stop taking you seriously after sometime if all you do is appear to lure them to your site, or offers and promotions. If you can, hire a professional social media manager to take care of your content and social networks.

Why Email Marketing is Still King of Online Marketing

Success has never come easy, in life, in business, in relationships and anything that you set out to achieve. It is even tougher if you are venturing into business as you have to outsmart major players already commanding a huge chunk of the market, and appeal to them to choose your product over your competitors’. You may have the very best product, perfect quality and even alluring price. But any product, irrespective of its impeccable quality and low price must be properly marketed to rake in sales.

Marketing is not an easy fete, neither is it everyone’s cup of tea. As one of the oldest professions, marketing, alongside advertising has for a long time sustained print and electronic media. On the inception of the internet and the birth of email, marketing moved online and marketers started targeting their customers through email marketing.

It is irrefutable that marketing strategies have undergone numerous changes over the years, with the latest being social media marketing. The efficiency and successes of the latest models have made people predict the end of email marketing. The reality is far from this assumption as email marketing is still king of online marketing for various reasons.

1. Broad Target Audience: Many people own more than one email address as opposed to social media accounts. There are many people today yet to embrace social media and yet almost everyone has an email account. The target with email marketing is broad, and if you plan and execute your campaign well, you can reach a wider target market.

2. Marketing Message Delivery: Communication is only considered successful if it reaches the target audience, on time and triggers a feedback. People who subscribe to your business or product email feeds are interested in one way or the other in what you have to offer. As a result, you will reach the right people at the right time. The message is delivered right in their inbox, some might choose to ignore, but most of them will read, based on how good the content is worded.

3. High Conversion: The main purpose of marketing is to increase conversion rates and boost sales. Since your email subscribers already have some interest in your business, it is much easier to convert them to buying customers. Emails are personal in nature, and they reach the right people on time.

When compared to television or radio advertising or buying newspaper pages, or more recent PPC, social media and content marketing, email marketing records higher conversion rates. It is also easier to measure results unlike the others that are not so target-specific marketing strategies.

4. Long Term: A company with long term loyal customers is assured of sustainable growth over a long time. With emails, marketers can interact with their clientele regularly, share new products and services and even future plans. With steady correspondence, brand/product loyalty is sustained.

Many experts might have predicted the end of email marketing; it is however far from dead. Online marketers should embrace alongside other strategies for the best results. It might not be easy to build a proper email list; it takes time, creative copywriting as well as high quality products and services to sustain customers online.

Serious Forum Marketing Mistakes You Must Avoid For an Effective Online Marketing Campaign

Forums are highly effective and reputable web marketing platforms. Any serious online marketer must have employed forum marketing in his or her campaign, not only to attract new customers but also share expertise with other members. It is actually not so hard to convert members of a forum to buying customers especially if you effectively share your opinion and win them over. However, not all people who try their hands at forum marketing realize any reasonable results-mainly because they commit a number of mistakes in the process of execution.

1. Rudely Proving other People Wrong

This is the number one mistake many expert forum marketers commit. The main purpose of a forum is to encourage members to share ideas and information for the benefit of other members. Every individual is entitled to personal opinion and it is criminal not to understand that. You may be right in your forum post or comments, but there is no way everyone will share your school of thought. If you really are after attracting traffic to your site or recommending useful products to members, be friendly in your conversation and embrace other people’s opinion on the issue under discussion.

2. Being Rude to Others

Just because you don’t deal with forum members on a one-one basis doesn’t mean that you can get away with rude comments and emotions. Most forums have set guidelines that must be adhered to, members who fail risk being banned from the forums. Mocking other people on forums and calling their suggestions names is rude. This also applies to your competitors who might be sharing the same platform with you. No one will waste his or her time finding out more about you or your suggestions and products if you sound like your manners are misplaced. Therefore, always be modest, and if someone rudely hurls an insult your way, stay calm and respond in a more composed manner and not driven by hatred. No one wants to know your bad character, just like in any other business; it is bad for your online business.

 

Affiliate Links on Posts and Comments

Affiliate marketing might be one of the best marketing solutions, but there are other places where that can work, but not on forums. Many forums don’t allow affiliate links to posts and comments. Clearly define the purpose of your forum marketing campaign and leave out affiliate links from the list.

Improper Grammar and Copy Pasting Posts

Some people will consider you incompetent with nothing good to offer from your language. You might be rushing to the airport or a very important meeting, but that doesn’t mean that you can get away with obvious punctuation flaws, spellings or even worse, posting in caps. Furthermore, learn to craft your own posts, don’t copy them from elsewhere and post like your own, it is not only lazy but theft.  A thread is likely to divert from its original purpose to discussing its quality.

Finally, work on your signature, post consistently and avoid sharing sales copies; people don’t like reading them.