Why do you need a web site?

How can a web site can make more money for your small business?

1. Attract more clients: local, national, and international.
2. Provide an easy way for your target audience to research and contact you.
3. Web sites are cheaper to update than print media.
4. On the Internet, your business is open 24/7, 365 days a year.
5. A web site makes it possible for you to compete with larger, more established businesses.
6. Strengthen your small business’s marketing brand by advertising (sometimes for free) on search engines, industry directories, or other related web sites.
7. Add credibility to your business: put your web address on your business card.
8. Show future customers that you are on the cutting edge of technology.

Recent Internet research says:

• Sixty-two million U.S. households, or 55 percent of American homes, had a Web-connected computer in 2003, according to just-released U.S. Census data. That’s up from 50 percent in 2001, and more than triple 1997’s 18 percent figure.
• Researchers found the average Internet user spends 3 hours per day online, almost double the 1.7 hours the average respondent spends watching television.

Additional articles on the importance of a web site for small businesses

Does Your Business Need A Web Site?

You’ve been asked time and time again if your business has a web site. However you feel that your business is too small and your product cannot be sold on the Internet. So should you still have a web site built? Well the answer is yes, if you have a business you should have a web site…
Read the full article >>

The Advantages of An Online Presence

You may ask yourself, why do I need a website - I already have a good customer brochure or a good book of photos. With an internet site, your product or service is accessible globally, to prospective customers 24 hours…
Read the full article >>

Written by Jamie Wilke at Mediatrunk.com - We provide custom web site design that is affordable and effective for small businesses, non-profits, and artists in Colorado Springs and beyond. Our small business marketing solutions include: custom web site design, web site search engine marketing, and graphic design.

Get better search engine results

There are many things you can do so your web site ranks higher on search engines. Some are free, some are not. All take time, research, and much strategic planning. You won’t get immediate results, but over time (2-6 months) you will see your ranking on search engines getting higher, increasing visits to your web site.

Things you should do right away to increase your site’s search engine ranking:

1. Start tracking current web site statistics
   Before you start on search engine optimization, get in the habit of tracking your current web site statistics at least monthly. Then, after you “optimize” your site for search engines, you can see if the changes you’ve made are producing results.
2. Get your web site link listed on other related web sites
   Contact directories or other sites that list your type of business, products, or services. Ask them to put your link on their site. The more sites that have your link on them, the more the search engines will see your site as “popular” on the Internet, and you will then rank higher on searches over time.
3. Submit your site to top search engines
   Submit your site to the top search engines like Google, MSN, Yahoo, and AOL. Make sure your site complies with the strict rules required by these search engines. Submissions that are free take longer to get listed. You can pay a fee to get automatically listed on some search engines.
4. Adjust your web site content and HTML code
   Make a list of search terms that you think people will search for to find your business online. Then work these terms into your web site. This is both a science and an art form, and there are many DOs and DON’Ts in this rewriting process. Your home page is the most important page to optimize. Also make sure your web site has a sitemap - this allows search engines to dig deeper into your web site.

The search engine optimization strategies above are free, but they take time.

Much research and planning are required for you to do them right. Mediatrunk can perform organic search engine optimization, web site statistics reporting and recommendations, and link building for you. See our Web Site Services page for details and pricing.

What about paid search engine listings?

If you want immediate results you can buy “paid listing ads” on the search engines like Google and Yahoo, and then you’ll appear at the top of the searches. You only pay when someone clicks on your link, based on how much your key-terms cost. Whether you decide to manage paid listings yourself or outsource it, this option requires constant monitoring, trial and error, and adjustments to get the best return on your investment.

Written by Jamie Wilke at Mediatrunk.com - We provide custom web site design that is affordable and effective for small businesses, non-profits, and artists in Colorado Springs and beyond. Our small business marketing solutions include: custom web site design, web site search engine marketing, and graphic design.

Make money placing Google ads on your niche web site

‘Gray Googlers’ strike gold

This article is from USA Today on 10/26/2007.

Article Summary:

If you have a niche web site or a niche blog site, you could place Google Adsense ads (for free) on your site. Then if someone clicks on an ad on your site, you get paid from Google.

Google dynamically matches its ads to the content on your web page. You can even choose to exclude certain types of ads or ads of your competitors from appearing on your web site.

Web site owners or bloggers that are most likely to reap the most profits from Google AdSense ads are those with unique, valuable content that is updated often.

Written by Jamie Wilke at Mediatrunk.com - We provide custom web site design that is affordable and effective for small businesses, non-profits, and artists in Colorado Springs and beyond. Our small business marketing solutions include: custom web site design, web site search engine marketing, and graphic design.