Archive for the ‘Internet Marketing’ Category
Description of ‘Internet Marketing’ Category:
The union of the creative and the technical characteristics of the Internet to promote your website by enhancing it’s design, development, advertising, and sales. Using techniques such as banner ads, email marketing, search engine marketing (SEM), and search engine optimization (SEO).
Friday, September 10th, 2010
 Hello and welcome to the Internet Beacon! We’re an SEO firm in Maryland.
Getting people to listen to what you have to say can be difficult. After all, there are millions of voices all clamoring for the same thing: attention. We want to be heard and we want people to know about our businesses. Well, a blog is one way to do that. It’s been around for years now and people have come to expect them. However, there is an ocean of blogs out there. Something that’s grown in popularity in the last several years is the podcast. Now, if you don’t know what a podcast is, it’s like an internet radio/tv show that’s broadcast out for anyone who finds it. You can find free hosting and recording tools online, and it really just requires a microphone and a cast. You can even do one on your own!
Podcasts are great for many reasons. First of all, they’re portable. Just about everyone today has some form of digital media player. It could be their phone or a separate device. The fact is tons of people have them. You can take advantage of our mobile society and create content people can take with them on planes, trains, and…yes, automobiles.
Another great things about Podcasts is that they are easy to do. As I mentioned before, all it takes is a computer, microphone, and some free editing software. As a note, if you have a Mac OS computer made after 2007, it includes a program called GarageBand, which has podcasting features built into it.
Lastly, podcasts have a more personal touch than a blog or other medium. People can hear and sometimes see you. That establishes a connection between a real person (you) and the service/product you are selling. They can see your company as more than a soulless PR machine and as a collective of people working together.
Podcasting is a great way to spread your message on the Internet.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
Tags: Blog Hints, Blogging, internet, ipod, marketing, podcasts
Posted in Blog Hints, Internet Marketing | No Comments »
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 »
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
Hey, Josh here from the InternetBeacon.
Google, as we all know, is powered by advertising. It hardly makes sense to be in the search engine biz unless you can make a little money. Well, Google makes a lot of money. A large part of how they do that is a program called AdWords. AdWords is a marketing tool that allows you to design custom ads that will appear alongside search results from the Google engine. Let’s take a look at how it works.
First, you tell Google what kind of ad you want to post. For our purposes, let’s say simple text. Rather than making you go through an elaborate process, they have a simple, fill-in field system that lets you describe what you are advertising. Formatting and the like are all taken care of by Google. Part of this is determining the keywords you want to use for this ad. This will tell Google when to display your ads. If you aren’t keen on using text only, you can also opt for image ads using their web-based software.
As far as paying for these ads goes, it’s pretty simple. These ads are what we call Pay-Per-Click. This means that you only pay when someone using Google actually clicks on your website’s ad. You can set how much you are willing to pay as well as how much your budget is for that day. This keeps you from racking up a huge bill without noticing.
AdWords is a successful part of the Google brand. For those looking to get started marketing their business or for those who want to expand their reach, AdWords is worth a look.
More info on SEO, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
Tags: ads, AdWords, Google, marketing, search engines, seo
Posted in Internet Marketing, Marketing Plan, Search Engine Optimization SEO | 2 Comments »
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
 Hey, Josh here from the InternetBeacon.
More info on SEO, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO.
Today we examine one of the classic conundrums when it comes to web design: using advertising to grow and earn from you website while not turning your page into a seizure-inducing catastrophe. Fear not, this can be done. In fact, lots of people have done this already. Here are a few tips.
Carefully Examine Potential Ads
Unless you really didn’t look at the agreement before posting ads on your site, you should have had a chance to look at some ads that the company runs. If they are all “Click Here! You’re a Winner!” ads with strobe effects and smiley faces, you will probably want to stay away from them. Be cautious, as your ads will affect how people perceive your site.
Take it Slow
Placing advertisements on your site is not an “all or nothing” deal. You can start slowly and examine how different types of ads work. Google, for example, offers very simple, low-impact ads that will give you a taste of how the ad game works in relation to your site.
Match Ads to Content
Some ad networks will do this for you. You tell them what your site is about and some demographic info and they provide you with ads. However, some may not do this and so you need to make sure the ads on your page make sense. If you are writing a blog about home remedies and your page’s ads are about savings on video games, odds are they won’t match your target market.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
Tags: ads, Blog Hints, seo, site
Posted in Internet Marketing, 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, June 10th, 2010
 Hola, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. Our company is 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.
Let’s say you’ve got a website that you’ve had for a while and it’s doing pretty well. The only problem is that you want to change the name. Maybe your business partner left or you’re changing hobbies or whatever. In any case, you need to go from the old to the new. You know, however, that you will lose a lot of traffic if you just up and move to a new domain name. Sure, you can put a notice on the old website, but how will search engines find you? Fortunately, there is a way to get your old traffic to your new domain.
A 301 Redirect is a simple code in HTML that redirects a web browser instantly to a new website. Not only does it redirect the traffic, but 301 specifically means that this is a permanent change. This lets the browser, and search engine, know your change is going to last. Therefore, it can forward traffic and assign PageRank (Google) to you, despite your new site location.
Now, you should note that you’d still need to build up things for your new domain. However, people will still find you based on your old information. So, if you’re going from www.ilovetoplaygamesalldayeveryday.com to www.johnsgaminghouse.com , it is going to take time to build a name for the latter site. However, people who visit your old site will be taken straight to the new site. You also have the option to notify them of the change when you redirect them. I’d recommend this if your website name is changing… Read the rest
Tags: HTML, PageRank, PR, seo, Web Tips
Posted in Internet Marketing | No Comments »
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
 Howdy, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. We´re 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.
You´ve got a website. Congratulations! Now it´s time to put some content on there. You know that the more you have, the better your site will do online. This is a mixture of Google´s PageRank system, pages indexed by sites like Yahoo! and Alexa, as well as the actual content on your page. This is where a lot of people are tempted to build giant sites that are really just the same page or two duplicated over and over again. This is a terrible idea.
There are many reasons why you should not simply bombard a web server with the same pages. First, no one is going to like your website. I know that search engines are important, but they are not the be-all/end-all of the Internet. The fact of the matter is, PEOPLE are going to look at your website. If they hate it because it´s 1,000 page of the same thing, no one will ever come back. In fact, they´ll likely tell their friends to steer clear of your site.
Second, search engines are not stupid. Think about it. You´re relying on software to make your website more popular; do you think they don´t know what´s going on? I can answer that: they do. Google, like all search engines, searches the text on your page. Therefore, they have checks in place to make sure that your content is not duplicated. Avoid duplication when building your site. The big guys know what you´re up to.
That´s all for this week. Check back again next week for more tips on web development and SEO.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
SEO Maryland
Tags: content, engines, Google, internet, marketing, page, search, search engines, seo, site, website
Posted in Internet Marketing, 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… Read the rest
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, May 13th, 2010
 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.
As we’ve discussed in previous posts, keywords are a big part of SEO. They help to identify your site to search engines, and give them something to associate with the web address. For this reason, they are one of the building blocks of SEO. Here are some tips for choosing the keywords you want to use.
Be Accurate
Accuracy is important here. If you are a florist in Baltimore, pick keywords that match your business. Keywords like “flowers Baltimore”, “Baltimore Florist”, etc will be perfect here. They accurately describe what you do and where you do it. If you chose something like “local business Baltimore”, then you will most likely see negative results. That’s because, while you ARE a local business in Baltimore, so is EVERYONE ELSE in Baltimore. You’ve cast too wide a net, and therefore will get lost among the other companies.
Be Specific, but not TOO Specific
Specificity is your friend when choosing keywords. However, if you over-specify, you will likely get lost I the crowd. A great way to think about this is trying to imagine what your potential customers will search for online. If you a store that specializes in comic books from the 1930s and 1940s, then something specific like “Golden Age comic books” would work well for you since it is a specific niche you are filling. However, that same keyword will not bring in people looking for regular comics. As you can see, this part is tricky.
When choosing keywords, make sure you talk to your SEO professional about how you want to describe your business online. They can often make… Read the rest
Tags: business, choosing, internet, keywords, search, seo
Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization SEO | 1 Comment »
Thursday, May 6th, 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.
Twitter is a very popular social media platform right now. For those who don’t know, Twitter is a micro-blogging service, freely available, that allows users to upload 140 character lines of text for the world to see. Now that the world can see it, does it mean people are actually reading them? Here are some tips for getting more Twitter followers.
Dive In
Find other popular Twitter users and follow them. Then, retweet (repost another user’s tweets while giving them credit) for others to see. Also, make sure to reply to other user’s tweets. This is similar to leaving a comment on blogs. You may see other people follow you as a result.
Be A Trendsetter
Trending topics are a way for users to have conversations with the world about specific ideas. Using a # sign, called a hashtag, followed by a word or phrase, marks your tweet with a topic. For example, if you want to talk about dog training tips, you might tweet “Getting my dog to jump through hoops is really hard. #dogtrainingtips” Then, people who use the dogtrainingtips hashtag will see your tweet.
Look Around You
Putting your location into Twitter will make it possible for other people in your area to find you. Also, with the advent of GPS in phones and Twitter on cell phones, you can search for Twitter users within a specific radius. This is great if you want to get involved in local affairs, but be careful; this will be a search with every local user. Specifying whom you want to track will be a bit more difficult.
That’s all for this week. We’ll see you back next week.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
SEO Baltimore
Tags: Growing Online, Social Media, Tweets, Twitter
Posted in Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Twitter | No Comments »
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