Posts Tagged ‘Internet Marketing’
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
 Hello and welcome to the Internet Beacon! We’re an SEO firm in Maryland.
There are a lot of ways to make advertising work for your website. You can go with banner ads, simple links to sponsors, or a lot of other options. One of the most controversial forms of advertising on webpages is the in-text ad method.
In-Text ads are essentially links generated based on keywords that appear in your page. They are typically double-underlined and when a user rolls their mouse over them, a tiny pop-up appears with an advertisement relating to that word.
Users are divided on how they feel about this form of advertising. While it does not always seem as intrusive as banner ads, with their occasional flashing and bright colors, they can also be frustrating when simply trying to read an article. Imagine trying to read a book and every time you come across the word “ship”, it shows a little picture of a ship and lists places to buy them. It would drive you mad.
No one expects websites to be used for free. Whether you use a membership format or support our site through ads, you have to pay the bills somehow. However, there are ways to balance your need for income with your need to keep readers coming back.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
for More info on SEO, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO. SEO in MD, improve search engine results
Tags: ads, advertising, Banners, Internet Marketing, seo
Posted in Advertising, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
 Hey, Josh here from the Internet Beacon.
Running a business is a time consuming process, especially if you are a small business owner. Your focus is on getting your product or service delivered to the masses. You’re talented in a specific area or areas. However, you need to figure out a way for people to hear about your business. Well, an SEO Expert specializes in getting your name out there. Here are some reasons why you should hire one to promote your business.
Specialization
Just like you know how to do what you do best, an SEO expert knows how this process works. They’ve specialized in how to market your website efficiently. Trust them to take care of this process. This way you can focus on what you do best, running your business.
Affordability
Lots of things seem cheaper to do on your own at the start. Sure, you can fix that noise in your car. Sure, you can take care of that pesky plumbing issue. Only once more problems have arisen does it turn out to cost a lot more than hiring a professional. The same goes with SEO. Letting a professional manage your Internet Marketing will not only save you money long term, but also time.
Getting Results
This is a combination of the first two reasons, as well as many other factors. In the end, a professional will get better results. They know the ins and outs of an industry that might be entirely foreign to you. Lots of people aren’t as Internet savvy as they’d like. So let the professionals deliver a quality service to you.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
More info on SEO, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO.
SEM – Search Engine Marketing in Maryland
Tags: business, Internet Marketing, marketing, seo, Small Business, Suggestions
Posted in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | No Comments »
Friday, July 30th, 2010
 Hey, Josh here from the InternetBeacon. We are an Internet Marketing firm located in Maryland. Our primary focus, SEO, is a subcategory of Internet Marketing. Similar to traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your Brand out there. In this case, we´re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. For more quick, useful information, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO.
A huge part of advertising, especially if you are a small business, is getting the local demographic. Sure you can market to “The Internet”, but that is a large-scale endeavor. A great strategy is to start locally, then move global. To do this, you can explore a form of marketing called “Geo Marketing”, which I will refer to as GM.
GM allows for you to tailor your content and marketing push in order to reach your local market first. There are several ways to accomplish GM effectively. First, you can use software in conjunction with your web server.
The two big uses are gathering data and reacting to that data. As far as gathering data, you can use special software to gather the IP address of the visitors to your site. An IP address is unique to a location, like a ZIP code. Some of them can be more specific than others, but you will still walk away with the general area of the people visiting your site the most. This is very useful information, especially where the next part of GM is concerned, using the data.
First, you can use this data to see how well certain markets are responding to your marketing. If you have been putting up billboards in Town A and there is an increasing amount of traffic from there, you know that they are working. However, if Town B is showing a lot of interest without any advertisements in their area, you will have cause to do more research. Second, you can tailor your content to your audience. Sites like FedEx use data like this to help serve you a site that is fitted to your nation.
All in all, Geo Marketing can be a powerful tool for businesses looking to expand on the Web. Start local and see how far you get. The rest of the world will always be there, but getting a good following locally means word-of-mouth growth, which doesn’t cost you anything.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
Tags: Data, Geo Marketing, GM, Internet Marketing, IP Address, seo
Posted in GEO Targeting, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | No Comments »
Friday, July 16th, 2010
 Hey, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. We are a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm located in Reisterstown, Maryland. What we do, SEO, is a subcategory of Internet Marketing. Similar to traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your Brand out there. In this case, we´re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. For more quick, useful information, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO.
Linking your site to other sites around the Web is a fundamental part of the way the Internet works. In fact, that’s the reason we call it the World Wide Web. Now, the Search Engine giants like Google and Yahoo! are well aware of how this works. In fact, how your site connects to the rest of the Web is fundamental in how your page gets recognized. Here are some tips when dealing with Link Directories, aka collections of links to sites on the Internet.
The big thing to look out for right off the bat is the PageRank (PR) of the directory. This is especially important for Google. PageRank is Google’s way of ranking how websites are connected to others. The PR scale is 1-10 and the higher the number is better. You can check the PR of websites by either getting an add-on for your web browser or by searching the Web for a tool to help you do so.
Another thing to consider when choosing a directory is the pay structure. Depending on your marketing budget and the value you place on link directories, this will affect your decision to varying degrees. Many offer free links by simply placing a link back to their site on your homepage. Depending on your business, this may or may not be a good choice for you. The other option is to pay for inclusion, which will result in faster approval, but also cost you money. Again, you want to be sure of your marketing strategy here.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
Tags: Internet Marketing, Links, seo, web
Posted in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | No Comments »
Friday, July 9th, 2010
 Hey, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. We are a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm located in Reisterstown, Maryland. What we do, SEO, is a subcategory of Internet Marketing. Similar to traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your Brand out there. In this case, we´re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. For more quick, useful information, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO.
How do the big search engines see your websites content?
Google, and most search engines, use robots to sort through your page for content. These are not actual robots, but computer programs with a single purpose, to crawl your website. Crawling means taking the time to read all the code that makes up your page. This is largely HTML, but other code like Flash is partially recognized. What is important here is tight design to aid the robots in reading your site. You can also assist them via scripting, but that is something best saved for professionals like your SEO specialist.
Is Flash a factor?
Yes. Google can read a little bit of Flash, but HTML and other standard code is where they get most of their data. Be careful when using Flash, as overuse will result in difficulties with PageRank and other methods of promotion. The same goes with splash pages, or intro pages, for your website. That may have been cool in the 1990s, but today people want to get to your content as soon as possible. There’s no need to make a separate page to welcome them.
How do images come into play?
Without ALT tags for your images search engines won’t know what to do with them. As clever as Google’s robots are, they aren’t discerning all the contents of your pictures. The “ALT” tag allows for users to put captions in the code for their images. This way, if there are visitors to the site who are visually impaired, they will still know what is going on on your page.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
Tags: content, Google, HTML, Internet Marketing, Popularity, Robots, seo
Posted in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Web Development | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
 Hey, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. We are a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm located in Reisterstown, Maryland. What we do, SEO, is a subcategory of Internet Marketing. Similar to traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your Brand out there. In this case, we´re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. For more quick, useful information, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO.
There’s no denying that Google is the most powerful search engine in the market right now. There are several other places you can go to find content on the Web, but at this moment, Google stands above them. Because of this, Google is a great tool for promoting your business. One tool that they offer, specifically targeted at business owners, is Google Places.
Google Places allows you to create a home for your business within Google. This then gets linked to Google Maps, as well as everywhere else in Google’s kingdom. The benefit here is, I believe, that you are one step closer to Google when it comes time for searches. Local results, which are probably what you want if you are a small business, are almost always returned first via Google Maps in a Web search. By having a Google Places listing, you increase your chance of being seen dramatically.
Another great feature of Google Places is the ability to show your area of service. This is incredibly handy for those companies offering services and products to a very specific area. Restaurants who deliver are the first to come to mind. Customers can see your delivery area, so that cuts down on wasted calls and wasted time. In addition to this, Google Places supports QR codes. They look like square barcodes, of a sort. Customers can scan the tag with their smart phone and get data on your establishment.
Google Places is a great tool for small businesses looking to start a presence online or extend their current reach. In addition to your website, your Google Place can be another source of contact in a world constantly built on making connections. I recommend at least checking it out.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
SEO Maryland
Tags: company, Google, Google Places, Internet Marketing, places, seo
Posted in Internet Marketing, Web Tips | 1 Comment »
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
 Hey, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. We are a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm located in Reisterstown, Maryland. What we do, SEO, is a subcategory of Internet Marketing. Similar to traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your Brand out there. In this case, we’re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. For more quick, useful information, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO.
There is a theory floating around the Internet about something called “poison keywords” for SEO. In essence, poison keywords are words or series of words that have been flagged by search engines as unacceptable. This is not based on the level of propriety, but rather on what they keywords intend to do.
The biggest example of a poison keyword, according to some online discussion, is using “search engine” as a tag for your website. Search engines like Google and Yahoo know what people are onto when they use those tags. Essentially, people are looking to get free page views based on keywords that don’t accurately define their site.
Another supposed poison keyword is “forum”. This seems to be mostly speculation. I haven’t found any evidence to support the idea yet. Most SEO professionals I’ve read say that it is nonsense. Mostly this idea comes from software giving you tips on your meta data.
That’s all for this week, folks. Check back with us next week! Also, feel free to stop by our new location at 406 Main Street, Reisterstown, MD! We’ll be there tomorrow.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
SEO Maryland
Tags: Internet Marketing, keywords, seo
Posted in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | No Comments »
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Knowing Your Target Audience In Your Store and Online
Hey, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. We are a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm located in Maryland. What we do, SEO, is a subcategory of Internet Marketing. Similar to traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your Brand out there. In this case, we’re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. For more quick, useful information, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO.
While we here at Internet Beacon specialize in Internet Marketing, what we don’t specialize in is each individual client’s target market. That it not to say we can’t help you with this area. It does mean that if you already know your target market, working together goes faster and smoother. To this end, here are some tips on how to get to know your target market.
First, see who buys your products. This sounds easier than it is, but it is important. If you have a storefront, keep track of who comes in. Then, note who buys things and who browses. If you have a large amount of teenagers coming in to buy things, then you need to make sure you are reaching that market. If your store specifically caters to a particular crowd, like stay-at-home moms, take steps to ensure they are being targeted by your marketing. This will extend to your presence online as well.
Second, tailor your website to reflect not only your business’ offerings, but also the type of clientele you are trying to reach. If your store sells extreme sports merchandise, your website needs to show this. Don’t use boring colors or plain advertisements. This is an area in which we can assist you. We will meet with you and get your feedback on how you want your website to look. From there, we go to work using your specifications. Remember, getting your target demographic to notice you means getting to know them, even if it isn’t something that interests you.
At the end of the day, you are responsible for getting people in the door. This doesn’t mean you have to do it on your own, though. Feel free to give us a call at the Internet Beacon to help you start marketing your business online.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
SEO Maryland
Tags: internet, Internet Marketing, market, marketing, online, seo, store, target, target audience, target market, website
Posted in Internet Marketing, Marketing Plan, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | No Comments »
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
 Hey everyone, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. The Internet Beacon is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm located in Maryland. What we do, SEO, is a form of Internet Marketing. Much like traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your name out there. In this case, we’re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google and Yahoo. For more information, check out our SEO Answers page, SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO. This week we’re going to talk about popular social news site, Digg.
If you’re not familiar with Digg.com, allow me to give you a quick overview. In essence, Digg is like an improved version of Delicious, a bookmark sharing website. However, Digg is much more interactive than Delicious and much more popular. Users submit news articles, video, pictures, and more to Digg and those items are then posted on the main website. When a user thinks something is worth sharing, they simply “Digg It” and add a vote for it. The higher the votes, the more likely the link ends up on the main page.
The way this can benefit you is simple. First, you need to add valuable content to your website. This sounds more difficult than it is. For example, rather than doing a newsletter to clients, have a blog. Then, you can link your blog, if it fits in an appropriate Digg category. You’ll need a Digg.com account, which is free. Once you submit the link, distribute it around the Internet to your contacts and have them vote it up. Other random users might also see it and chime in.
Once you’ve submitted the article to Digg and have begun spreading the word, there is not much more to do on your end. Every vote you receive will likely translate to one or more page views for your website. Therefore, it is important that what you are providing is quality stuff. The danger of the Internet is that if something is of shoddy design, people are quick to criticize. Bear this in mind when sharing your content with the world.
That’s all for this week. We’ll see you back next week.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
seo Baltimore
Tags: Blogging, Digg, Internet Marketing, News
Posted in Internet Marketing | 1 Comment »
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
 Hey everyone, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. The Internet Beacon is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm located in Maryland. What we do, SEO, is a form of Internet Marketing. Much like traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your name out there. In this case, we’re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google and Yahoo. For more information, check out our SEO Answers page, SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO. This week I’d like to give you five tips for growing your business using the Internet.
Perception is Everything
This is true in all walks of life, but especially on the Internet. People don’t get to see the person running the website. All they see is the site itself. If it looks like it was made using a basic text editor by someone’s cousin, that is the impression they get. They don’t notice the actual business as much. For this reason, it is important to have your website designed by a professional. My advice is to start small, and then branch out as necessary. Not every site needs a flashy intro, but they all need to look professional.
Preserve and Optimize your Advertising Budget
Getting your name out there can be challenging on the World Wide Web. It may seem like you are up against anyone and everyone. In some sense, you are. You are up against them for people’s time. So make sure you are taking the right steps to ensure that potential customers see your website before others. To this end, make sure a portion of your advertising budget goes towards Internet Marketing. This is a more and more important part of today’s economy, and you don’t want to miss it.
Build Relationships
While it’s true that your goal is to succeed as a business, few, if any, people can do it alone. This is why it is important to get to know the competition. They may not be as bad as you think. Many might be just like you, trying to get a leg up in an increasingly more competitive market. You may find allies here instead of enemies. Try joining an online association related to your field. This may help more than you might expect.
Assemble a Toolkit
In the same way that you need to gather your tools together when building a house, you need to have tools set aside for your business. On the Internet, this means tools that will get you plugged into what’s happening online. Three great, free, tools are Facebook, Twitter, and Digg. Facebook, as most of you know, is a social networking site allowing people of all ages to connect with each other. Make a page for your business here to spread awareness of it. Twitter is a micro-blogging service. It’s great for short posts and linking to others’ posts. Make an account and join the online discussion. Digg is a link sharing website. Share articles that interest you and others and comment on pertinent works. Intelligent contribution goes a long way.
Deliver Content
Make sure your website is more than just an online business card. That may have worked in the past, but now people expect more. Try serving up interesting content to keep them coming back. This could be a blog, quick tips, or any one of a million other options. This will be specific to your business.
Well, that’s all for this week. Come back next week for the second half of our series on building your business using the Internet.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
Tags: business, internet, Internet Marketing, marketing, seo, website
Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | No Comments »
Friday, January 29th, 2010
| |
|
|
Hey, everyone. Josh here from the Internet Beacon. We’re a Search Engine Optimization firm located in Finksburg, Maryland. In my previous posts, I’ve talked a little bit about helpful tips for using your computer and the Internet in general. Today, I’d like to get into what we really do here at the Internet Beacon.
|
 |
The proper term for our business is SEO, meaning Search Engine Optimization. But what does that really mean? Well, our goal is to engineer your website so that when someone searches for a business that does what you do in your locality, your company will be among the first results. It’s one of many forms of Internet Marketing. At first, it can seem slightly complicated. Knowing the ins and outs of how search engines, like Google, come up with their results is part of our job. We do a lot of behind the scenes work to get the job done.
Part of getting the job done involves checking keyword density. Keyword density is exactly what it sounds like. We make sure that keywords related to your company, let’s say “roofing Maryland” if you are a roofing company, appear prominently on your site. Part of this task is also making sure that it works organically on your site. You would get nowhere by having a paragraph comprised solely of “roofing Maryland”. Search engines know shortcuts like that are cheap and you can actually get your site penalized!
That’s just part of what we do for you here at the Internet Beacon. There are a lot of other methods for getting your business out there, but I could go on for pages and pages about them. Suffice it to say we worry about this stuff so you don’t! Well, that’s all for this week. I’ll see you next week.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
Baltimore SEO
Maryland SEO
Tags: internet beacon, Internet Marketing, search engine optimization, seo
Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | 1 Comment »
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
| |
|
|
Hey, everyone. Josh from Internet Beacon, here. We’re a Search Engine Optimization firm in Finksburg, MD. Essentially, SEO is a form of Internet Marketing. We work hard so your business is among the first results when people try to find the service/product you offer. Today, I wanted to talk a little bit about safe use of one of the Internet’s biggest areas, e-mail. I know a lot of you are thinking, “I’m pretty safe with my email use”. But it never hurts to take another look at your usage.
|
 |
One of the biggest concerns I hear is from people forwarding emails to others. The emails could contain something that seems pretty funny, like quiz to find out “Which Muppet You Are”, or others are politically motivated. Naturally, people want to pass information that they enjoy to their friends. However, of concern is where this information originates.
While a lot of interesting content is available online, it is very important that the source is examined. There are plenty of websites out there that seem legitimate. What they are really doing is spreading around malicious software without your knowledge and, sometimes, with your name attached! A good rule when using email is to check where the message was sent.
For example, any email you get from someone named “Me” or a variation of that is almost always a scam. Also, be careful of anyone whose name you do not instantly recognize. You should have a mental list of people you trust online (usually your family, friends, and coworkers). If anyone else sends you something, it is perfectly acceptable to be suspicious. In fact, I would caution against opening any messages from people whom you do not directly know.
Another important thing to consider the kind of email you get from the sender. Do they have a habit of forwarding anything and everything they see? It is often in good fun, but you should still be careful. Just because you trust them doesn’t mean you trust wherever they got the link, picture, etc. they sent you. The best defense here is common sense and critical thinking. In addition, using an email service that scans email attachments for you as well as having up to date Anti-Virus software on your PC both go a long way towards safety.
In the end, e-mail security is just like any other kind of security. You wouldn’t open packages left on your doorstep sent from someone you don’t know, and the same rules apply here. Remember, just because it’s online doesn’t mean it doesn’t have consequences offline. That’s all for this week! I’ll see you all next week.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
Internet Marketing
Baltimore SEO
Maryland SEO
Tags: internet, Internet Marketing, seo
Posted in Internet Marketing | No Comments »
Monday, December 7th, 2009
| |
| Develop a what? A marketing plan. |
| |
| But we only have 3 employees. |
| |
| Whether we have annual gross revenue of 100 thousand or 100 million dollars a marketing plan can help us reach the customers that we want to reach. |
| |
| Here are 3 simple reasons why: |
| |
| 1. A Marketing Plan Summarizes The Various Marketing Ideas We Have Thought Of |
| |
| Compiling our ideas together in a document will make our ideas real. |
| |
| Additionally, we are not taking any action yet, just compiling the marketing ideas, assigning a dollar cost for budget purposes, and a due date. |
| |
| For an over simplified example: |
| |
| Goal |
Task |
Gain 2 additional
local customers |
Mail 100 postcards locally |
| |
|
| Budget |
Due Date |
| $25 |
February 1, 2010 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
| 2. Hang a Marketing Plan Summary over Our Desk |
| |
| Reminders are great, especially a reminder to get moving on the tasks we outlined in our marketing plan. |
| |
| So upon completion of our marketing plan, we can summarize our tasks, assign due dates and hang it over our desk (or just the tasks section or media plan section). If you are like me, move it once in a while so it does not blend in with the scenery. |
| |
| Additionally, when a new idea occurs we can add it to the marketing plan. |
| |
| 3. A Marketing Plan Can Break Down Large Tasks into Smaller Less Scary Tasks |
| |
| I remember a boss many years ago explaining that you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Our marketing plans can work similarly. Our marketing plan among other things hopefully breaks down those large tasks into smaller more manageable tasks. |
| |
| For example, the post card idea mentioned earlier. The large task can be broken into at least 9 smaller tasks and can be completed in one day or over several days. |
| |
| Mailing 100 Post cards to potential customers |
- Develop a catchy idea for our post card
- Sketch out the idea on paper and locate some image metaphors
- Develop the post card personally or by a designer
- Gather 100 leads in a spreadsheet (or export 100 leads from CRM software)
- Merge the leads into mailing labels
- Print the mailing labels
- Add the mailing labels to our postcards
- Add postage (online postage at USPS.com)
- Deliver to the local Post Office (http://www.usps.com/locator)
|
| |
| More information at the Small Business Administration – www.SBA.gov: |
| http://web.sba.gov/busplantemplate/MarketStrat.cfm |
| http://www.sbajumpstart.com/index.cfm?page=marketingplans.cfm |
| |
| Please do not forget Internet Marketing in your Marketing plan and please think of us at the InternetBeacon.com for your Internet marketing needs. |
| |
Sean
InternetBeacon.com
Internet Marketing and SEO in Baltimore |
Tags: Internet Marketing, marketing, Marketing Plan
Posted in Marketing Plan | No Comments »
|
