Website Advertising Tips

Branding

Just like traditional advertising methods, your website should properly reflect your business brand. The website should look professional, but have the same look and feel as all other messaging that you distribute. Branding should also be established through an easy to remember domain name that highlights your company name, products or services.

Online Advertising

Pay-per-click advertising through search engines such as Google or Yahoo can drive customized traffic to your website. This method of advertising can be cost effective because you only pay for customers who click on a target ad to reach your website. The customers who arrive at your website from pay-per-click advertising are more apt to be in the market for your goods and services than a random web surfer.

Communication Advertising

Every message you send out from your business through email, letters and offline marketing should include your website address. Providing your website address on routine communications helps your existing customers find and utilize your business website. This tip also applies to business cards.

Provide Quality Content

Your website should be more than just a static page listing your products and services. Include information, tips and related articles that keep your existing customers returning and helps reel in new customers. Helpful information keeps your website relevant, increases visibility and increases your credibility.

Create Interaction

Create customer interaction through your website. Beyond including phone number and contact information, your website should help you create a customer contact database. For example, you could have a contest, a free newsletter or a survey. This interaction keeps customers interested in your website and provides an opportunity to gather their contact information. Be sure to provide an opt-out option for future marketing to avoid making unwanted contacts.

Off-Line Publicity

Generate traffic to your website through off-line publicity. You could sponsor an event for a nonprofit organization, try to get a feature in a local business magazine or send out press releases for noteworthy business updates like a new product line or services. In all these communications, be certain to highlight your website address.

Reliability

Savvy customers want to buy from companies who provide reliable and secure online environments. Make sure to have a SSL certificate or other secure protocol enabled for any online purchase processes and prominently feature the security logo on your website. Also look into business reliability programs such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which can increase your customer's view on your business reliability both online and offline.

How to Maintain a Business Online Presence with Google Places

Set Up Account

1. Type google.com/places into your web browser. Click on 'Places for Business.'

2. Sign in with your existing Google.com or Google Adsense account.

3. Click on 'Create an Account Now' if you do not have a Google.com account. Fill in the 'Required information for Google account' and the 'Get started with Google Places' information. Go to your email address and click on the link provided to verify the account. On the Google accounts page, click on 'Click here to continue'.

List Your Business

4. Type in your Country or find it in the drop-down box. Fill in your business phone number. Click on 'Find business information.'

5. Click on the 'Edit' button if your business is displayed. Click on 'Add a new listing' if your business is not displayed. Fill in as much information on this 'Basic Information' page as you can. The information that is added including payment options, photos and videos will ensure your listing is accurate and informative.

6. Add unique information to your listing under 'Additional Details.' This can include categories, such as parking options, brands of merchandise carried, coupons offered, unique projects made and even weekly deals offered online or in your place of business. Put the headline in the first box and the details in the second box. Click 'Add another' to add more categories. Click on the 'Submit' button.

7. Validate your listing by choosing 'By phone' or 'By postcard.' Click 'Finish.' If you chose to validate by phone, you will immediately receive a phone call providing you with a PIN number. Type this PIN number in the PIN box and click on 'Go.'

Manage Your Listing

8. Edit your listing so the information is up-to-date, thorough and accurate. Log on to Google Places to change your business information to keep the listing fresh.

9. Check your Google Places account to see how many page impressions it has received. To increase your visibility on the Internet and help users find your business, click on the link in the resource area for 'Google Places Help for business owners.'

10. Check your Google Places listing for reviews. Respond to reviews by logging into you Google account, and clicking on your Place page. Scroll to the reviews section and click on 'Respond publicly as the owner.' Write a response and click on 'Publish.'

How to Build a Free Website on Google.Com

1. Go to Google's website by entering the URL 'http://sites.google.com' in your browser.

2. Click the blue 'Get Started' button on the 'Overview' page.

3. Log in with your Google account. If you do not have an account, signing up is free. Just follow the instructions and enter the information you will need to register.

4. Choose from the provided website templates. Clicking the link 'Browse the gallery for more' will bring up a window with more project templates. Select the template that is most fitting for your project.

5. Give your site a name by entering a name under the 'Name your Site' section.

6. Give your site a location by entering an URL under the 'Your site will be located at this URL' section. The URL must be unique and cannot conflict with an existing one. Your Google account name is allowed as a site location, but can only be used once.

7. Choose a theme if desired by expanding the 'Choose a theme' tab. A theme can give your site more visual style.

8. Enter the code provided under 'Please type the code shown' in the provided box to complete the set up process.

9. Click 'Create site' to submit your settings and be taken to your new website.

10. Begin adding and editing the website by clicking the 'Edit page' button at the upper right corner of the screen. This will start the editor and allow you to add content and make changes. Google sites makes it easy to add content to your site by providing clear menus and instructions.

11. Use the 'Insert' menu for modifying and inserting different media and information into the various sections of your page.

12. Click the 'Save' button at the upper right of the screen after making changes. When you do this, you will be able to view your changes as they will look to others when they visit your site.

How to Add a Directory to HostGator

1. Log in to your HostGator 'Control Panel' account and click the 'File Manager' icon located under the 'Files' section. The 'File Manager Directory Selection' window pops up.

2. Select the 'Home Directory' button, if necessary, and then click the 'Go' button. The 'File Manager' window displays.

3. Double-click the 'public_html' icon in the left pane. The right pane displays all of the directory folders in the 'public_html' directory.

4. Add a new directory to the 'public_html' directory of folders by clicking the 'New Folder' link along the menu bar at top. The 'New Folder' window pops up.

5. Type a name for the new directory in the text field next to 'New Folder Name.' Click the 'Create New Folder' button, and the new directory folder appears inside the right pane.

How to Register a Google Phone

1. Open a Google calendar page. Click on 'Settings' and then 'Mobile Setup.'

2. Click on the 'Country' drop-down pane and select your country of origin. Type your phone number in the 'Phone Number' dialog box.

3. Check if your cell phone provider is supported in the 'See Help Center For Supported Providers' box. If it is, select your cell phone company name from the drop-down tab.

4. Click on 'Send Verification Code.' Wait for your verification code to arrive on your cell phone. Type your verification code into the Google calendar page 'Verification Code' box, and then click 'Finish Setup.'

How to Advertise a Site on Game Sites

1. Find game sites that cater to the demographic your company targets. You don't want to advertise on a children's game site if you sell financial services. Find a game site where the players are your target audience.

2. Determine your advertising budget. More popular sites typically cost more than smaller ones, but you often reach many more people. A banner ad will cost more than a side bar or Google ad.

3. Find game sites that may be interested in affiliate sales on your site. Depending on your product, you may be able to create a deal where you do not pay unless a customer buys something. This reduces your outlay of cash and creates a win-win situation.

4. Contact the website or web ad agencies. If you are looking to be an affiliate or to place a banner ad, contacting the company directly is your best option. Ask to speak with someone in advertising sales. Online ad sites such as Google AdSense allow you to fill out an online questionnaire and submit ads to the search engines. You don't have as much control over your ad placement in this situation, though.

What Are the Top 10 Money

User Auctions

Two popular auction sites include eBid and eBay, with eBay being the largest. Some people earn a living with online auctions, especially with eBay, by selling large product volumes and becoming PowerSellers. Anyone can sign up for eBay or another auction website and sell personal belongings or even resell items bought from garage sales or flea markets.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketers sign up for individual affiliate programs or marketplaces such as ClickBank, Commission Junction, or PayDotCom. The marketplace or program provides the affiliate with a special link, or hoplink, that he can advertise. Affiliate marketers earn a commission when buyers purchase the product through the tracking hoplink. Commissions vary based on the individual affiliate program but range from $10 to $100 and up in some cases.

Blogs

Blogs allow individuals to start writing about virtually any topic and earn money through a variety of programs. Pay-per-click programs, such as Google AdSense, give publishers the opportunity to host ads in exchange for receiving a small commission for each visitor that clicks on an ad. Bloggers also use traditional forms of advertising, such as banner advertising, to earn money.

Membership Websites

A membership website involves offering products and services to a specific niche group of people and charging a residual monthly membership fee. Several online software programs exist, such as Amember and MemberGate, to help site owners create and manage an entire membership site from the beginning. Membership fees depend on the particular service you're offering, but anywhere from a monthly $20 to $40 subscription is average.

E-Commerce Stores

Shopping cart software scripts, such as osCommerce, Volusion and Zen Cart, enable people to create e-commerce stores on a website from scratch. Online user programs, such as Etsy and CafePress, give individuals a complete online platform from which to sell. With an e-commerce store, you typically set your own prices for each product, which means that you can earn as much as you want.

Local Directories

Online directories act as Yellow Pages and phone books for people who want to find business listings and information about restaurants, services and entertainment. Some people create local directories for individual towns, cities, and regions to attract both local traffic and tourist activity. The directory owner earns money by charging for listings, displaying 'featured' businesses and adding other paid features.

Freelancing

Freelancing on the Internet provides opportunities for individuals who already have a given talent, some experience or something else to offer. People freelance online with web and graphic-design skills. Writing and virtual assisting are two other large freelancing groups on the Internet. Freelancers offer services on their own site or use a site such as iFreelance, oDesk, or Guru to find projects and list services.

Revenue Sharing

A popular way to earn money on the Internet is through revenue-sharing websites. Users typically join revenue-sharing sites for free and create content that gets published on the site. When the site earns money from advertising programs, the profits are split with each of the members.

Social Lending

Social lending sites, including LendingClub and Prosper, allow individuals to join, deposit money and select loan applicants to whom they would like to loan money. The interest rate that the loan recipient pays becomes the amount that the loaner earns. This opportunity involves risk, but can be profitable if you have money to spare.

Online Advice

Counselors, psychics, spiritual advisors, professional doctors, computer technicians and other advisers can earn money by providing services to others through a site such as LivePerson.com or LiveAdvice.com. The provider generally sets a per-minute or per-chat-session rate for his advice, and collects this fee upfront or bills it to customers after the chat or help session is over.