Search Engine Sensation

Three Things You Need To Know About Web Marketing!

Web Marketing is all about making web sites visible in search engines and getting them found. SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is a part of this but is more about the onsite stuff that needs to happen.  Overall there are three main things that contribute to the whole thing and to achieving the best results.

Age, Content and Links!

The first thing that the search engines will consider will be the age of the web site – great if there has been an old site hanging about for a while, perhaps ready for a revamp but if it is brand new there is not to much you can do about this.

Content - It is important to ensure that all pages contain good quality text that very clearly defines the key words and phrases which the search engines will pick up on while making sense to humans. Also, pay attention to META TAGS - these are tags in the head section of each page and should provide information about the page content (we'll cover Meta Tags in more detail later)

Link building which is more of the 'Web Marketing' than the SEO on site stuff but is hugely important.  Incoming links from directories, other related web sites (or indeed anywhere that will accept a one-way link to your site) need to be made on a regular ongoing basis in order for a web site to move up in the natural rankings.  Notice I said incoming and not reciprocal (you link to me and I'll link to you) as this gives web sites far more credibility.

For more info on web marketing click here http://www.searchenginesensation.com/search-engine-marketing.asp

We are back!!

It’s been a little while but here we are raring to get going!

We will be sharing with you tips on all areas of web marketing – this will help you get your web sites as highly ranked as possible  - after all this is our speciality! 

This will include – SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) Link Building, pay per click, pay per click, email marketing, blogs & social networking.

Watch this space

Visit our web site - www.searchenginesensation.com

Find us on Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/SearchEngineSen searchenginesen

The True Meaning of the Word Entrepreneur!

For a word that is so tricky to spell, we feel that 'Entrepreneur' is used far too often these days.

Anyone starting a business, or even running one that their forefathers started many years ago is commonly described as being an Entrepreneur!

OK, so the dictionary definition of the meaning may be rather vague and is used to refer to anyone setting up a business.

Our view of the true meaning of an Entrepreneur is anyone who:

Is a self-made person who starts/sells and starts MULTIPLE businesses, or takes an existing business and does something special with it.

The true entrepreneur will also have one or more of the following qualities:

• Sees opportunities that others miss
• Isn't afraid of making mistakes (little and often and sometimes big!)
• Takes calculated risks

There are successful (or otherwise) business people, but they are necessarily entrepreneurs.

So come on everyone let's keep the word reserved for those who really deserve the title!

There is also the SMEM (Self-Made Entrepreneur Millionaire), a phrase coined by Duncan Bannatyne, I believe, but that should obviously be reserved for even fewer individuals!

Claire

http://www.searchenginesensation.com/brand.asp

A compliment from the heart!

A small compliment can really lift our spirits! Especially if sincere and from the heart. 

 

It really doesn’t take that much to make a big impression and it only takes a few words to make someone’s day but of course they need to be said from the heart!

 

The other day I dropped into my local hairdressers salon to make an appointment for another day. After speaking to the young girl on the desk she looked at me and said ‘your hair looks really lovely today!’ A real compliment from a professional salon particularly when I had styled it myself.

 

I must say these few genuine words really lifted my spirit – something that money just can’t buy!

 

The girl is an asset to the business and a decent human being to boot!  I am sure they appreciate her and hope they hang on to her tight!

 

To read more about your team please click on this link http://www.searchenginesensation.com/team.asp

 

Claire

Mr Inter-National

About 3 years ago a client/colleague and friend of ours mentioned that he wanted to take his business from local to a national level – well he certainly managed to do this by looking at his marketing as a whole and  targeting it.

In fact Geoff Ramm has achieved even more than that and has now gone international.  He was recently asked to speak in Iran at The World's First Advertisement Forum. Geoff was personally recommended by a variety of speakers from the Professional Speakers Association (PSA). The brief was for a dynamic and lively speaker who could not only inspire businesses but who could also share a wealth of fresh ideas to help advertise and promote Iranian businesses. 

Geoff made the 6,000 mile round trip to Iran and spoke on stage to over 1800 businesses over just two days, the UK’s most inspirational marketing speaker received the most SMS text votes from the audience and was voted 'Best Speaker'

The audience ranged from Large organisations including car manufacturers and banks to SME’s.

This was Geoff’s first international speaking engagement so to travel all that way and walk away with the top prize was an unbelievable achievement.

It just goes to prove that networking and well planned marketing both on and offline really does work, you never know where or what it can lead to!

You can see what Geoff is all about by visiting his web site www.geofframm.com

Also more on social networking http://www.searchenginesensation.com/blogs_social_networking.asp

 

Claire

Your Valentine!

Probably much like yourself we have had a variety of emails from various companies aiming to hit the Valentine’s market!

And we have indeed done our own campaign for  http://www.safetyrazors.co.uk

Most companies aim their product/services to the partner of the loved one!  

Timing is also a very important part of these time campaigns and does need careful consideration in giving enough lead in time.

A few weeks before is an ideal starting point for a campaign, with some further reminders, without being overbearing and running up to the point where it’s ‘last call’ but of course leaving enough time to get the product delivered in time for the happy occasion. 

This also depends on the cost of the product or experience offered.  We saw today a ladies fountain pen to the sum of £1200 being advertised – not a sum of money that most of us could just pull out of our pocket at a moments notice! Something like this would really need to be saved up for well in advance so the marketing should have started much earlier – probably at the beginning of the year.

· Target the occasion – Easter, holiday season, Halloween etc

· Decide on lead-in time and strategy

· Get the message out there

http://www.searchenginesensation.com/traditional-marketing.asp

A Christmas Carol Just For You!

Away in a manger no crib for a bed ♪♪♪ Have facebook or twitter even entered your head ♪♪♪
 
Wishing you a very Merry Xmas and all the very best for 2010!

Claire & Dave

Hand Over The Goods!

Ok, picture the scene – you visit a lovely place while on holiday and you love it so much that you seek out a builder and together you plan your dream villa:

 

South Facing Terraces, Swimming Pool, Stone Barbeque and Tea House in the garden, the works!

 

You pay a deposit and the villa is built for you and on completion, you pay the balance and look forward to your first stay in your new property.

 

Imagine how you’d feel if the builder said ‘well actually, you don’t own the villa, I’m retaining ownership of it, you can use it, but if you want to change or add anything, only I can do it and I’ll charge you what I like for the privilege!’

 

It just wouldn’t happen, would it?  (Outside of Spain anyway)

 

Well, it does happen and right here in the north east of England.

 

Not with property (hopefully) but with brand materials and web site collateral etc.

 

Recently a couple of colleagues have commented on separate occasions that they were working with local companies who were holding them to ransom when they decided they wanted to move on to other providers for their company branding/web.  Not wanting to go into to much detail as there could be legal obligations.

 

There will of course be arguments for and against this type of hard line stance, with lawyers quoting IP (intellectual Property) rights at every step of the way.

 

In our view, this stance is pretty short sighted though, if a client feels that they need to go elsewhere for whatever reason, isn’t it better to make the transition as painless as possible?  You never know, they could realise that they’ve made a mistake and come back.

 

Taking the stance above will ensure that come hell or high water, the client won’t come back, no matter what or recommend!

 

Not a great way to find, attract or keep customers!

 

Read more about customers and The Funnel of Love™ http://www.searchenginesensation.com/customer-service.asp

 

Claire

Facebook Personal Profiles, Business Pages & Groups - Simplifying the Facts

So you have a facebook ® personal account and that is exactly what it is – Your Own Personal Page!

So how do you go about setting up a business profile?  Well facebook will always de-activate a second account once they know that it is there. Although the chances of that happening are very remote, they do have some automated ways of detecting, but they are apparently not very effective.

You can simply get a new mail ID and open additional accounts. But, setting up a new account for a business really isn’t the best way to go and is totally unneccesary.

So, now you are left with two other options – A Group or a Business Page.

Really the purpose of a Group is to enable like-minded people with a similar interests to communicate, share ideas, experiences etc - for example a group of people interested in collecting vintage razors, or a group of people from the same school year!

A Business Page is the way to go if you want to have a Company or Organisational presence on facebook. It's better NOT to use a Group for this purpose. The Business Page can be set up and managed through you own account, so no need to keep logging on and off.

You have 'fans' rather than 'friends' on a Business Page. The number of fans also helps towards visibility in facebook, as the more fans you have the higher up you are on the keywords search which you have set up in your profile setting. This makes it easier for people of similar interests to find you.

You can also send your fans (with no limits, personal accounts only allow a max of 20 people per message) an update directly to their inboxes and you can communicate further with your fans by posting a new item on the page which will be seen as a status update on the walls of all fans.

This makes you far more visible than by using a Group.

Also, you can view visit stats for the Business Page via facebook 'Insights'

Within a Business Page or Group you can also run discussion boards, events, photos, videos etc.

Oh and don’t forget that whatever you've done to promote your business via facebook, using Groups, Business Page etc, do remember to link back to your Web Site or Blog wherever possible!

http://www.searchenginesensation.com/blogs_social_networking.asp

Hope this helps

Claire

Claire & Arnie - What is the Connection!

Well the connection is Chester-Le-Streets own John Citrone aka
Mr Universe!

The Power of Networking!

Networking is all about who we know! It is not always about the person we are speaking directly to and if they want to buy our products or services, but more about who they know!

It’s all about looking out for opportunities for others as well as ourselves.

This is exactly what happened when Claire met Joe Mulcahy from Tree Free Pages www.treefreepages.com via Durham Business Club. Joe spotted an opportunity for Atomic Web Solutions. Joe happened to know that John Citrone, was looking to re-develop his Peakbody web site. The web site sells fitness nutrition products online.

John was born and raised in Chester-Le-Street and has won countless body building titles from the age of 17 as a junior Mr Britain, right up to the current day where he has recently been crowned Masters Mr Universe in the over 50 category at the age of 60.

However this wasn't John's first success in Mr Universe, he has won a total of 8 Mr Universe titles, 13 world titles and cemented his place as a legend among body builders, when he was honoured at the 2000 body builders hall of fame!

John actually trained a young Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1960’s and Arnie even came to Chester-Le-Street to do some training sessions with John! In a gym above Citrone’s Ice Cream Parlour!

John also appeared on Blue Peter with John Noakes blowing up a hot water bottle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lxh2cK-NeI

I wonder if anyone can remember this iconic Blue Peter episode?