Still the argument exists why companies should bother being on Twitter.  Taking a look at the ExactTarget table above reinforces what many marketers have thought for a long time. Twitter users get busy not just on Twitter, but on forums, video sites, articles, wikis, blogs, photo sharing and news websites.

So given that fact, what are they getting busy with? Content of course! This begs the question however, who’s providing that content. Is it your or your competition?

The caveat here though is that the content needs to be good quality, value added content. Too many times I hear business people suggesting that they’ll just uses royalty free content out there. But what does that say about you and your brand…not much really.

In today’s competitive marketplace people want the best in their niche and are prepared to talk about it. Share it with their peers and become evangelists to products or services they’ve had good experiences with.

So get busy on Twitter and let the community get busy with your brand

We search for love..

…search for happiness
…search for wealth
…search for health
…search for meaning…you get the point

The phenomena of ‘the Internet’ and the popularity of search engines are because they have been enablers to things we already do naturally. We instinctively search for stuff in life and guys like Google help us search for stuff online

I oftentimes see people make “much of a muchness” about the Internet whether from a marketing perspective or just a website – forgetting that real people are driving the technology not the other way round.

So what I hear you ask? Well dear reader the point is are you driving all the technologies at your finger tips or are they driving you?

So why am I crazy about search? Because you are too without perhaps knowing it. That search leads to our own “realisations” on many different levels and helps us to evolve as human beings. This evolution is what’s necessary for us to give machines, artificial intelligence and the autonomy of thought scientists and robotics engineers are (guess what) searching for.

Somebody once said (answers on a post card) that there’s nothing new under the sun. I would challenge that statement and suggest that evolution in the way we fulfil our core needs, wants and desires is ‘new’ because it allows us to do ‘new’ things. Things which the world has never seen before.
A connectedness be it good or bad we’re spoilt by in this day and time.

So whether you use Twitter, Google, Bing, Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo! Or indeed something else … Search to your heart’s content because neither an algorithm or clever piece of software can replace the heart which gives life to all of those technologies – YOU

I have outlined a few simple things you can do (or get your web designer to do) that won’t cost you anything.

1. Flash intros
It’s not the 80′s anymore and you will lose a good chunk of people by placing this ‘wall’ in front of your page. Flash intros take time to load and time to play. We are no longer in awe of the web and are in a hurry – don’t make your visitors wait. If you’re so in love with your intro – integrate it into your home page, but add a call to action at the end.

2. Broken links and pages
This is a biggie! There are more broken links on the net than you could shake a stick at.

Do yourself a favour and download Xenu’s Link Sleuth – this will run a check on your website, and among some pretty good information tell you where your broken links are. I’m sure you get as frustrated as I do when you want to view a page and it’s down – this doesn’t bode well for a companies reputation.

3. Design No No’s
Though subjective, there are some obvious design slips you need to avoid

• Hard to read type – Way too many sites use fonts smaller than 10 point – it just won’t get read, simple.
• Logo / Branding – In days gone by you’d have to employ a big agency to get your image / logo / and branding done. In 2007 – take your pick. There are some great guys on who can take care of this for you. Remember when people are searching for your product or service they will be comparing you with the competition. You have less than 8 seconds before the average visitor LEAVES your site
• I see too many small business owners or one man bands selling a “product” (not service) and put their mug shot on there – WHY? They’re not buying YOU they’re buying your “product”. Think about the images and elements you use on your page. They MUST have a function and not because “Oh I think it looks nice” – NO. Get a blog if you want to showcase yourself.
• Colour – No one does black backgrounds anymore – get with it. Neither do they do visitor counters (urgh). Corny clip art found in Microsoft Word is a no no…there are loads of free stock image sites out there.I know there are loads of tinkerers (is that a word?) out there who put their sites together themselves – but trust me, 9 times out of 10 when you decide to get ‘serious’ you’ll need to get it done by someone who does it for a living.

4. Unrelated copy / graphics

I reiterate – You have less than 8 seconds to convice someone to stay on your page so bear the following in mind.

• Does your title clearly demonstrate your offering? Are you describing what your widget does or the benefit? We only care about ourselves, so tell me how it will benefit me and I might read your call to action…
• This call to action must now bolster the claim made in the title, not continue describing how well the widget was made.
• Hardly anyone will read “every” word of your copy. Yes I know you spent the last three months getting it right, but when we get to a web page we don’t carefully examine the page – we skim; our eyes roam around the page looking for elements of interest – stuff that catches they eye.After they’re satisfied that they’re in the right place they will either engage your call to action or bugger off.
• Employ a ‘hero shot” – What’s that? It’s the picture of your ideal customer using or feeling the benefits of your widget. Humans connect with other humans and imagery is strong – use it to your advantage. When choosing an image for your ‘hero shot’ make sure you understand which demographic you’re going after and use a relevant picture.
• Are you selling your widget or harping on about your companies history? Use the words on your page carefully. We’ll only seek ‘further’ information on the company when we are happy to consider your widget and use that help justify contacting / buying from you – normally not before.

5. If it can be tested it can be improved.
This is the single most important part of improving your conversions. Work out how many visitors you have and how may sales your have had out of it. Divide sales into visitors and that’s your conversion rate in simple terms. Next – implement one of those changes to your site – then see what happens to your rate of conversion – rinse and repeat.

Sounds easy right? Dedicate some time to it and you’ll reap the dividends!

You should thus make it as simple and pleasant as possible for your customers to get information in your store, to find and order products – one of the basic rules for successful online marketing. You should look for a store that comes with all the vital features and elements for shopping conveniently and easily on the ‘net – thus laying the foundations for successful online marketing in the long term.

Attractive and sales-promoting design

Basically, the same rules that apply to a conventional store apply to the design of a virtual store: The goods offered should be attractive and induce shoppers to buy. But this product presentation and the store design should not distract from the actual purpose, selling. Via design and layout it is important to impart a pleasant and secure shopping feeling and induce the visitor to buy. It is essential during implementation to take into account some internet-specific peculiarities:

Unlike selling in a brick and mortar store, your customer can’t test or try out the product or check the material. For this reason, you should make his buying decision easier with meaningful, but not overly long, product descriptions and high-quality and free-form product images. Detailed images of the product or individual product attributes facilitate the choice and buying decision of the potential customer.

The customer should be guided from the product presentation/information quickly and with as few detours as possible to the actual purchase. Don’t distract the customer from shopping with meaningless design elements or information not related to buying. Give him the opportunity of placing the selected product directly into his basket and then getting to the basket without having to take a roundabout route.

Broadband is indeed on the advance, but ISDN and analog connections are still widespread, especially for private users. Unnecessary gimmicks and large-size images lead to longer page loading times and test the patience of your customers. The graphical elements should not result in an extreme slowdown for images being displayed. Because prolonged waiting increases the readiness of the user to leave the web site.

Your shop should provide a set of powerful design tools you can use to quickly, easily and flexibly customize your store according to your own personal ideas or your corporate design. In doing so, no knowledge of HTML or assistance from external service providers are needed. Most ecommerce platforms provided a powerful design editor and a tool for creating images that automatically creates different sizes and views of product images.

Finally let’s not forget once essential ingredient…?

Well it’s quite simple and it brings us away from the technological side of online to the subtleties of doing business. That is, people do business with people they like. Now it’s a mean feat today to get people to have an affinity to a code filled website but sprinkle some elements of ‘human interest’ in there…?

In an online world which changes by the second how are you going to keep up with it all? The answer is you’re not, and unlike individuals like me and the rest of the team here it’s probably not in your job description to either. So, why not go around the problem and install that killer application on your website – personality. Talk to your customers, let existing customers talk for you, show your human side and cut through the cold faceless online delivery mechanisms you’ve been told would do the trick.

Today’s consumer is far too aware of tricks and have lost a lot of trust in the ‘company’ but still have a lot of faith in the ‘human’

In our industry of online marketing we talk about search engine optimisation but we forget that the process of optimisation exists in email marketing, affiliate programs; pay per click marketing and even true website support. It’s this optimisation in my view which creates a sustainable campaign as opposed to a one hit wonder.

In essence optimisation is the process where you make something better than it was. The piece of this puzzle that most of us miss is time. Optimising anything is a process not a one off event and therefore doesn’t necessarily happen overnight. But (big but here) doing things this way builds in sustainability and if done with a pinch of R&D (research and development) will help to ‘future proof’ not just your business day to day but your commercial model for the long term.

Unlike traditional marketing what worked on the internet 12 or 18 months ago won’t necessarily work today. Online marketing is constantly changing but that doesn’t mean that we can’t be responsible, that is to say having that ability to respond to change. Creating a sustainable model of optimisation around your processes for search engine optimisation, pay per click, email or web development allows you to respond to this change.

How often do you critically review your online marketing and take action – by optimising it? They say the race isn’t for the swift but for those who can endure. Your ability to endure online is by changing with it. The easiest thing to change is to stop doing what doesn’t work – or at least stop doing it in ‘that’ way.

If you’d like to find out how you can keep up with change and optimise your current website or associated marketing then click here

Now always looking for lessons in daily life and the most unlikely of places, I found myself drawing similitudes between our Spanish handy man and marketing on the internet. You see, Manny (as I like to call him) has a bunch of animated; walking talking tools who help him fix things in the town. He doesn’t leave home
without them!

Day to day, Manny may have to repair a tap, build a shop sign or a broken library shelf. We’re then entertained by the enthusiasm of each tool ready to get to work. Now from time to time the wrench may attempt to do the work of the screw driver, or the hammer may get a little over zealous with a piece of
wood that the saw really knows he should handle.

Manny would then shake his head and wag his finger at the tools trying to do the wrong job, or the tasks
they weren’t designed to do.

Could you be using the wrong tools for the jobs you need to do? Are you…

1. Using your homepage to be all things to all people
2. Trying search engine optimisations to fix an immediate marketing need
3. Sending the same email message to everyone on your list
4. Have the words ‘Welcome to my <website>’ at the top of your page
5. Awkward navigation
6. Not testing your websites performance against return on investment

When you should really…

1. Create specific pages for each type of prospect you target
2. Use pay per click or email for the marketing you need to happen quickly
3. Segment, test and optimise your email messages to see what works best
4. Let people know what’s in it for ‘them’ and not bore them with how great your company is
5. Stick to tried and tested internet conventions
6. Test different versions of your homepage to see which one gives you a better return

Yeah I know those things take time to do, but in this climate can you afford not to? I heard something
about ‘survival of the fittest’, where will you come in the race?

Good luck!

“Liquid Modernity” is a term introduced by Zygmunt Bauman is used to describe the present condition of the world as contrasted with the “solid” modernity that preceded it.

According to Bauman, the passage from “solid” to “liquid” modernity has created a new and unprecedented setting for individual life pursuits, confronting individuals with a series of challenges never before encountered.

Social forms and institutions no longer have enough time to solidify and cannot serve as frames of reference for human actions and long-term life plans, so individuals have to find other ways to organise their lives.

Individuals have to splice together an unending series of short-term projects and episodes that don’t add up to the kind of sequence to which concepts like “career” and “progress” could be meaningfully applied. Such fragmented lives require individuals to be flexible and adaptable — to be constantly ready and willing to change tactics at short notice, to abandon commitments and loyalties without regret and to pursue opportunities according to their current availability.

In liquid modernity the individual must act, plan actions and calculate the likely gains and losses of acting (or failing to act) under conditions of endemic uncertainty.

Some might liken this to the age of Aquarius (water, liquid) and thus Zygmunt is in good company. However some people believe that we are moving too fast and the two clash – terribly. They would argue that “speed” is reducing the quality of information and just because there’s more of it, doesn’t mean it’s of any value. Perhaps…but as old media hands the baton over to new media it has to be said that the best of the “new” will probably come from the best of the “old” – a comforting thought perhaps.

Technorati – the world’s leading blog ‘search engine’ delivered its “State of the Blogosphere 2009” which gave (for me) two very interesting statistics. 35% of the bloggers surveyed have worked with traditional media and 40% had a degree. This pretty much expels the myth which is often perpetuated that blogs (of any kind) are of low content value and written by the “citizens” who could simply couldn’t be compared to a ‘trained’ journalist etc.

The words of the Borg (Star Trek) “Resistance is futile” is a little extreme in this case even though a number of people hold this view of new media “railroading” old. I would rather recognise a ‘sign of the times’ and ‘go with the flow’ because ultimately this has all been consumer driven right?

As a final thought; will consumerism be driven towards the social economics promised by the ‘new ageists’ OR will the new age be assimilated by the fuel this new medium has provided to instantaneously satisfy our desires?

Thoughts on a post card..I mean email, Twitter, Facebook…

It got me thinking about the internet and the industry that has been built up around it pitching solutions, dreams, hopes and visions to businesses big and small. I believe that at some stage in our growth as business people we exhibit the symptoms of this phenomenon, however, given that time is money it would be prudent for us not to make the mistakes of those who have gone before us – right?

Additionally, being well informed through ones’ own research with a pinch of ‘proceed with caution’ can save our egos and pride by not continuing to do something which doesn’t work.

Ok here we go…I know online so let’s start an exposé shall we?

Exhibit A – If you believe these ‘internet cheques’ then you’re “Ignorance on Fire”

Exhibit B – If you believe these ‘Headlines’ then you’re “Ignorance on Fire”

“They All Laughed When I Started My Lead Generation Business – But Not When I Made Over $12,064.82 In Only 24 Days…”

“You have the chance to CHANGE YOUR LIFE today. You will LEARN MONEY MAKING SECRETS that multi-billion dollar companies do not want you to know, and you can get access NOW for FREE!”

“Give Me Just Two Minutes of Your Time, and I’ll Show You a Proven, Step-by-Step System That Will Allow You To Earn £250 – £500+ Per Day… Every Day”

Exhibit C – If you’re a sucker for this kind of ‘Make Money Online” clip art then yes, you guessed it – You’re “Ignorance on Fire”

You get the gist…

Now I call this the ‘lottery mentality™’ which I define as…

“…The belief that one can make large sums of money OR achieve a significant degree of success by doing very little…”

Unfortunately the internet has a tendency to magnify reality and exaggerate our perception of what we would normally believe. Now I’m not saying that no-one has achieved riches and wealth on the internet (relatively) overnight, however I do believe that this is not a replicable model that an individual should fund with time or money.

With one exception of course– “online grifters or scammmers” (fans of the TV show Hustle know what I’m taking about!)

So dear reader, the old adage rings true – “You reap what you sow” which is closely followed by “If it sounds too good to be true…” … you know the rest.

I don’t blame you really…

How could I? I would hope most of you spend more time working on your business and areas of expertise and their associated niches than learning internet marketing…Why? Because too many people lose focus on what they’re not good at an consequently end up being average at everything. I challenge the acceptance to those who sell easy to implement online marketing strategies – they don’t work full stop.

Now if it’s any comfort we offer FREE, yes FREE consultation to help get you up to speed with some genius advice…Pure Online that is…

Just give us a call on 08000 194 737

Or

Email info@pureonlinegenius.com for more info

Here’s to your success…

That said, when your communicating your offering on your website is there anything that stands out? Think about it for a second. Whether you’re buying life insurance or a lawn mower oftentimes even though the features are important they don’t interest us as much as the human input we receive in the form of reviews, testimonials, videos and those ‘hero’ shots we all love of the archetypal customer benefiting from that product or service.

We are naturally interested in people like ourselves who we can then superimpose our face. Our imagination then supposes what the possible level of satisfaction is given to somebody similar to ourselves that right now enjoys that product or service.

So what does this have to do with Internet marketing? Well it’s quite simple and it brings us away from the technological side of online to the subtleties of doing business. That is, people do business with people they like. Now it’s a mean feat today to get people to have an affinity to a
code filled website but sprinkle some elements of ‘human interest’ in there…?

In an online world which changes by the second how are you going to keep up with it all? The answer is you’re not, and unlike individuals like me and the rest of the team here it’s probably not in your job description to either. So, why not go around the problem and install that killer
application on your website – personality. Talk to your customers, let existing customers talk for you, show your human side and cut through the cold faceless online delivery mechanisms you’ve been told would do the trick.

Today’s consumer is far too aware of tricks and have lost a lot of trust in the ‘company’ but still have a lot of faith in the ‘human’

To find out how you can add a little more of that magic ingredient into your online offering click here or give us a call on 08000 194 737

It’s funny the terms we use on the internet don’t you think?

We describe our activities as Surfing, Searching, Browsing, and the internet as the Web, Engines, Spiders and Crawling etc

Let’s redefine a few things shall we…So how about…?

• Surf > > Decide

• Search > > Find

• Browse > > Answer

And as for webs, engines and spiders, I mean doesn’t sound very friendly does it? Anybody have arachnophobia? I mean do these images reflect what you do…?

I didn’t think so…”Alright Julian, so what does this have to do with successful homepages..?”

Ah ha! Well believe it or not, the internet was built some time ago; the principles that websites, web pages and online businesses adopted at that time no longer work; and if they do – not very well.

The great thing about the internet is that because it’s based on technology we can track everything down to the last click – and have been doing for the past few years.

What does this mean for you – the business owner? It means that we now have a pretty good idea of what you should and shouldn’t do.

“Now I’m going to tell the number 1 mistake most websites make with their homepage”

Which one is your homepage?

Get it? Most homepages give their visitors too many options and oftentimes the visitor doesn’t know what to do; which door to go through. They might click the biggest button or the most interesting link, but not necessarily the thing you really wanted them to.

Q: So what do you do?

A: Give them one major task to complete at a time.

As an example, if you look at B&Q’s website they give you a very simple choice to make which then segments the visitor to a relevant page. Similarly on the PureOnlineGenius homepage we present a number of our services on the front page with very little blurb and let people make a simple choice.

In summary, think about the reason your website exists (i.e. sales, leads, loyalty, content, branding etc) and consider the steps someone takes to satisfy those needs..And start from the beginning of that process.

Think about it…you can only click one link, button or image at a time. Make it easy for your visitors and in turn they may reward you with their business.