15 Ideas For Making Money From Home

There are many ways to make money from home, unfortunately a lot of them still require you to leave the house for various things, but here are a few ways you can make money without needing to leave the house at all.

1. Freelance writing 
It can take a while to build up regular work. If you can write good articles, or articles for a specific niche, do it and send them into the relevant magazines, e-zines, newspapers and things. You can contact them first to see if they are open to the idea, but most will not commit without an actual article or two. 

2. YouTube 
There are quite a few people now making money through YouTube. You can do it by posting videos about popular topics, promoting them so they become popular, and then applying for the YouTube partner program. Through this program you earn money on the ads that pop up on the videos. Some people also earn money by presenting reviews for products in a video format on YouTube instead of just a written review.

3. Website/blog design
If you have a good understanding of HTML and design or you learn quickly, you could design blog templates, backgrounds, headers, buttons and things. They are relatively easy to develop and install once you know how. There are many tutorials you can look up to teach yourself and you could offer cheap rates to get your portfolio started. Since blogging is becoming much more popular, there is a constant demand for this sort of work.

4. Drop shipping
This is done by quite a few people, on eBay in particular. Basically, you (the retailer) do not keep stock on hand. You take the orders then send them to your supplier/the warehouse/manufacturer and they send the package from their end. So all you are doing is processing orders and you make the money off the products you are selling. If set up well this should not require a lot of work but can earn a fair bit.

5. Family Day Care
This takes time to set up and there are regulations as to how many children you can have in your care and how your home is set up so it is classed as safe for children. You will need to check the requirements and regulations that apply to where you live. Currently (in Australia) you can start without qualifications but the regulations are changing and in the near future you will need to study for a certificate in childcare.

6. Ironing
You can do ironing in front of the TV at night or when the kids are having a nap. You will need a good iron, ironing board, some hangers and spray starch. Get clients to drop their ironing off and pick it up at agreed times. Advertise on Facebook, email friends and family, or put a sign up at your local shops.

7. Mending
If you can sew you can do mending from your home. Clients come to you with their mending, you do it and they pick it up later. You don’t need much to set up if you already have a sewing machine.

8. Boarders
Getting a boarder or exchange student is one way to make money from home as long as you are comfortable with it. I have a few tips on my blog to consider when looking into it. It is often not as easy as just putting the first person who comes along into the room. Depending where you live it can be well worth it though.

9. Enter competitions 
There are competitions you can enter everywhere – on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, magazine sites, even competition clubs. The ones which ask you to write in 25 words or less why you xyz often have less entrants than others so they can be the most rewarding. There are whole groups and pages on various social networking sites dedicated to sharing current competitions. All you have to do is sign up and enter.

10. Submit tips to magazines
Magazines such as Take 5 and That’s Life offer cash for hints, tips, photo’s and articles about your life. Whilst it is not a regular income and there is no guarantee of money at all, it can be a great way to earn bonus money.

11. Make and sell… soaps, candles, lotions, cards, etc.
If you are crafty, you can order your products online and have them sent to you, make whatever you like and then sell the finished product online through your own site, eBay, Etsy or other similar sites. You can have couriers pick up the stock to deliver instead of using Australia Post if leaving the house really is a problem.

12. Online surveys
These will not make you rich, but can provide a small amount of cash and gift vouchers. Some of the easiest ones I have done are www.wdyt.com.au and www.pureprofile.com.au. It can take a little while to actually fill out your profile but these two sites email you when they have suitable surveys and you can cash out fairly quickly.

13. Blogging
Blogging is not fast, easy cash. You need to set up a nice blog, write regularly, and promote it so you have people actually reading your blog, and then you can make money through advertising and sponsorship. You can also host giveaways or try products and review them if that is what you are interested in. Blogging is not as easy as many make it out to be (especially in the beginning) but once it is set up and you have a following, requires less effort.

14. Write an eBook
E-books are becoming more popular than real books and almost anyone can create one. There are people who have self published eBooks through Amazon that do quite well. Others promote their eBooks via their own blog and set up programs so that others can become online affiliates to it, so they are selling your eBook for you as well. Find something you are interested in and write it. An eBook doesn’t have to be informative, it can be fantasy, sci-fi, drama, anything.

15. Squidoo 
Creating squidoo lenses is relatively easy, it’s the getting them popular enough to generate an income that is harder. It is like writing one page articles about anything you like. You make money through affiliate links and, if they are popular, Squidoo will pay you too.

A few tips for any work from home option

• If you are going to be doing it as a proper business or if you generate a fair income, you need to register and declare tax. Keep all your receipts as there will be many things you can claim on tax, including a portion of your mortgage and bills, since you work from home. You need to earn enough to pay tax for anything to actually be tax deductible though.
• Social networking is one of the best ways to get your product or services out there.
• If you want to sell things but can’t post them look into couriers. Sometime they work out cheaper.
• Think about what you like doing and are good at, then go from there. Make sure you check the regulations in your area before starting anything though.

How to Avoid Most Common Interview Mistakes

We have heard the reports about the current state of employment as well as the fact that it is so hard to find a job due to competition. In reading about these things, I find myself reflecting and thinking about the countless number of interviews that I've conducted. I can recall an instance where a candidate failed to comb her hair after removing the curlers when she showed up to tell us that she was the best person for the role. Then there is the instance where a candidate showed up to the interview, professional in appearance, but failed to demonstrate his ability to do the job-even though his resume assured us that he could! These things really do happen, but it is my hope that after reading this, you will be more prepared for your next interview. The reality is simply this: if you have been contacted for an interview, someone in the company feels that you are capable of doing the job that you have applied for. The assignment for you is to convince those who are conducting the interview that you are the absolute best candidate for the job. Here are 5 tips that will help you stand above the competition during an interview:

1. Research the company that you are planning to work for. If you are an external hire, it is in your best interest to find out the strengths as well as current challenges the company is facing. Asking a few questions about the company allows you to make a decision about the company that you plan on working for. You are being interviewed, but there are some questions that you should ask, beyond salary, prior to accepting a new position.

2. Research the position that you are applying for. Regardless of whether or not you are applying for a role internally or externally, you would want to know certain things such as: Is this a new position or is it an existing position? What does a typical day in this role entail?

3. Selling yourself is imperative. As I'd mentioned earlier, you are almost there if you have landed an interview. Go in prepared and confident. Have strong examples that demonstrate your ability to perform in the role and don't forget to bring in awards, recognition, etc that show the interviewer(s) that you are the best candidate for the role.

4. Be professional in appearance. Choose a conservative style of dress because first impressions are important. I haven't ever met a hiring manager who didn't want the best employees. I haven't seen a leader send his/her "average" direct report to a meeting to represent him/her in a meeting. Your absolute best is always the expectation and you should have that as a personal expectation for yourself.

5. Preparing is the foundation for your overall interview success. When you prepare, you feel confident. When you prepare, you are organized. Your communication reflects that organization in your responses to the questions asked. Your professional appearance says that you are prepared, not only for the interview, but also for the role that you are applying for.

How Entrepreneurs & Marketing Professionals Can Use Facebook For Their Small Business OR Marketing Campaigns? Here are Some Suggestions

Are you aware that one of the most effective marketing tools today is the internet?

It cannot be denied that the internet has become the major source for practically all types of products and services. Almost all businesses whether big or small, are promoted in the internet. Aside from the fact that internet marketing is significantly cheap compared to other forms of advertisements, it also reaches a wider range of clients. As such, it is not surprising why most businesses include this type of business promotion in their plans.

Amazingly, the worldwide web provides great avenues for promoting individuals, services, or products. In fact, the phenomenal Facebook is even a great avenue for small businesses. You may not be aware of this but Facebook has already reached more than 500 million subscribers. Just imagine if only about 1% of these subscribers would know about your small business. This is definitely a lot that any marketing tool can offer. Small businesses can absolutely retain customers and make more sales by using Facebook. Moreover, this social network also provides a great way of increasing awareness of brands, products, and services. It is therefore beyond doubt that Facebook can help in the promotion of small businesses.

How then could you promote your business on Facebook?

One very effective way that is employed by small companies with employees fewer than 100 is free product samples. Correspondingly, certificates for free services also promote small businesses. This strategy actually uses Facebook by offering free products and services to selected Facebook fans. Thus, running this type of promotion does not only make other people aware of your business, but pays dividends as well since it engages more potential customers to subscribe to this popular social network.

Another way is offering coupons and discounts using Facebook page. Coupons are a great way of ensuring that you will make sales at a reduced price but the number of purchases you'll get through with social networking will definitely make up or even exceed the difference in sales volume. In this manner, even though you offer your products at a discounted price, you can still make up for the sales since most likely, more people will patronize your product.

Finally, you can easily post photos and videos of your business on Facebook. More than anything else, customers will appreciate the virtual tour of your business products and services. This can be conveniently done by posting videos and photos, which surprisingly play a very important role in search engine optimization. Usually, search engines look for new web based contents, and videos and photographs can be effective materials. In effect, when your business is search engine optimized, it will most likely land on top page rankings.

WEB DESIGN AND INTERNET MARKETING TIPS FOR YOU

At the Social Media FTW conference the other day flyte had a booth. On that booth was a tip jar. However, instead of asking attendees to leave loose change behind, we asked them to pull a web design or internet marketing tip out of the jar.
Despite the fact that there were loads of people at the conference, math tells us that many more couldn't make it. Even those who did were not able to read all the tips.
So, to share the knowledge, here’s our list of web design and internet marketing tips that appeared in the jar.
Web Design Tips:
To increase contact form conversion rates keep the number of fields to 5 or less.
Good web design is not just about pretty pictures. It’s also about having a user-centric philosophy.
When designing a web site give priority to the website user’s needs.
Before designing a web site, clearly define the objectives of your company and your user.
Before the design process begins, create wire-frames to help define the overall structure of the website.
Hire a professional web copywriter to write your website content.
To design a great website, you must understand the needs of your users.
Include a site search on your website.
Limit primary navigation categories to eight.
Limit the number of fonts to 3.
When developing navigation naming, the text should be clear as to where the navigation button is taking you.
Each page on your web site should contain a “call-to-action”.
No two web users are alike so make sure you offer multiple ways to navigate your web site.
Don’t make web users think. The web page should be obvious and self-explanatory.
Limit the number of clicks it takes a user to locate the information they are looking for.
Keep it simple. This principle should be the primary goal of web site design.
Limit the primary color palette to 3 colors.
An e-newsletter signup form on your website is a great way to grow your customer database and initiate customer relationships.
Utilize video on your web site. It’s another great way to deliver content.
To avoid overwhelming, confusing and frustrating the user, limit the number of items on your home page.
Web Marketing Tips:
Visit Google Trends and look at the Hot Trends for the day to come up with blog titles/topics.
Check out keywords by region in Google Insights for good terms to use in blog posts targeting local audiences.
Check out Google’s Contextual Targeting Tool via Google Adwords, for help with keyword ideas and organizing and structuring your keyword lists.
Use Wordtracker’s Keyword Questions Tool for good blog post titles/subjects.
Google Instant Search provides suggestions while you are typing your search term, use these suggestions for blog topics
Look at Ask.com’s Related Questions and Related Searches for good blog posts ideas.
Think long tail keyword phrases not single keywords.
Title tags are the most important part of your site for SEO.
Spend extra time to create compelling titles that grab attention.
When using images for content optimize them by using alt text, captions, and URLs.
Your audience consists of 3 types of searchers: Navigational, Informational and Transactional; make sure your content serves the correct audience.
Place your keywords early in your content and make them prominent, bold, in header tags, linked, title, and bulleted.
Facebook ads are a cheap way to get information out to a highly targeted audience.
Update your Facebook page at least once a day. It will help your Edgerank.
Posting questions on your Facebook page, especially T/F, Multi Choice, and Agree/ Disagree type questions will get you more engagement.
Check out this cool Free Tool on SEOmoz LDA http://www.virante.com/seo-tools/lda- content-optimizer.
Post links in your Twitter updates; shown to get more Retweets and engagement.
Twitter Tip: “Please ReTweet” gets 3x more ReTweet’s than “Please RT “.
Post to Facebook and Twitter on Saturdays and Sundays to beat the competition.
The least shared type of information on social media are negative messages; stay positive.
Create a Facebook landing page to welcome new fans and inform them why they should like you.
Repurpose your blog posts for Facebook updates, Twitter updates and YouTube videos.
Use NetworkedBlogs to syndicate your blogposts to Facebook.
Make sure you have sharing tools on your blogposts.
Set up Google Alerts on your brand and keywords for blogposts, articles and status update ideas.
For more bloggers in your niche, check out AllTop.com.
Create blogposts that are short, sweet, to the point, and that have a catchy title.
Make sure your social media status updates provide your audience with content they want.
Use Twitter Search (http://twitter.com/search) to find tweeps in your niche.
Keep blog-posts around 250 – 500 words and articles 500 – 1,000 words.
As you think of blog-posts, be sure to make a note of them. You’ll be glad you did for a rainy day.
When possible, use a photo in your blogposts. They’ll help enhance the content.
Don’t forget about video. Even a “talking head” clip of you can help add personality to your content.
Remember, images and video are just one more way to rank well at the search engines.
If you have a local business, don’t forget about local search. Try starting with Google Places:http://www.google.com/places/.
It seems simple, but make sure all of your social profiles are 100% filled out. That means a photo, information, and a background (depending on the site).
One of the best ways to get an incoming link to your website? Guest blogging. Make sure you have a blogpost ready to go before you make contact.
Make sure all of your web efforts are connected; and that they all link back to your website.
Don’t join every social networking site under the sun. Find out where your audience spends their time and spend yours there, too.
Use Twitter as your new RSS feed. Follow the movers and shakers in your industry and read the articles they talk about.
The web-based Twitter not working well for your lifestyle? No problem! There are easy to used web, desktop, and mobile apps that are easy to use. [Tweet Deck is one of our favorites.]
One of the toughest (and most important) social media decisions to make is what voice your account will be coming from. The business? The owner? An employee?
Remember to always add value. So, always be less “sales-y” and more resourceful.
Add your personality to everything you put out there. People like doing business with people.
Don’t dilute your message. If you don’t have a lot of time to devote to social media, do one thing and do it well.
On both Twitter and Facebook, try doing at least a few tweets and status updates every day. And feel free to use the same ones.

Top 10 Marketing Strategies For Small Businesses

#1 Be able to describe what you do/what you are in one clear sentence. Donald Trump is correct, that elevator speech is really important. Ask a friend or colleague to give you an honest evaluation of your description. Does it give the listener a basic understanding of what you do? If not, make it a priority to work on it. Before someone can decide if they may need your product or service they must first understand what you’re saying. 

#2 Be UNIQUE in ALL that you do. Don’t just give it lip service. If you’ve decided to adopt a unique approach to make your business memorable (tagline, business signature, giveaway, mascot, illustration, photo, color scheme, etc) be sure to use it consistently in your marketing efforts. It should become part of your brand.

#3 Use your mission statement as a filter for all that you do. Once you’ve clearly decided what your marketing goals, strategies, targets and tactics ARE, it should be easy to identify those things that DON’T fit. For example, if you have identified the best marketing vehicles to reach your customer then it’s very easy to say “no” to those salespeople offering you marketing opportunities that don’t fit your plan.

#4 Don’t jump-process….Discover your target market and your points of difference before you start marketing. Your printed collateral materials, Web site, and advertising will be much more effective and less expensive to produce if you have your marketing strategy established first. Then you’re simply following your plan in all that you do. Avoid the “shotgun” approach or “reactive” marketing.

#5 Give back to the community…strategically. There are so many great causes and organizations out there and you can’t do everything. So, pick the ones that will best position you with your target market.

#6 Network efficiently and effectively. If you don’t feel that you are a competent networker, now is the time to learn how to be or hire someone that is. Enough said.

#7 Remember that inconsistent advertising is wasted money. A prospective customer must be exposed to the same message in the same way numerous times before they are ready to entertain a buying decision. Pick an advertising vehicle where you can afford to have an ongoing and consistent presence.

#8 If you do trade shows, have a plan and work the plan. Companies participate in trade shows for a variety of reasons. Unless you have a success plan, you won’t know if it worked. 

#9 Look for ways to establish yourself as an expert in your field. Speaking engagements, publication articles and volunteer leadership roles can all help label you as an expert in your field. 

#10 Keep all marketing communications clear, brief and focused…Did I mention brief? Enough said.

10 Tips For Better Web Sites

1. Build It For Speed

It's a fact of modern life - people are in a hurry. Nowhere is that more true than on the Internet. It seems that no matter how much the technology improves, nothing is ever fast enough. In fact, several studies indicate that the fast technology advances, the faster people expect things to be.

So what does this mean for your website design? It means that you have between 10 and 30 seconds to capture your potential customer's attention. If they can not at least begin to read about your product in that much time, they will be headed e

lsewhere. To minimize your load time, keep graphics small. Compress them where possible. Use flashy technology (Javascript, Flash, Streaming Audio/Video, animation) sparingly and only if it is important to your presentation.

2. Target Your Market

Know who your market is and make certain that your site caters to their needs. It is critical that your site reflect the values of your potential customers. Is your market mostly business professionals? If so, the site must be clean and professional. Is your product aimed mostly a teenagers and young adults? Then your site could be more informal and relaxed. The key here is to know your market and build the site to their preferences.

3. Focus The Site

Make certain your web site is focused on the goal, selling your product or service. A site offering many unrelated products is not necessarily unfocused, but this is often the case. If your business does offer many products, dedicate a unique page for each instead of trying to sell them all from one page. Upselling or cross selling is vital but don't dedicate so much to it that the customer feels caught in a bait and switch. Make mention of other products but do so subtly.

4. Credibility Is Crucial

The most professionally designed site won't sell if your customers don't believe in you. The impersonal nature of the Internet breeds a certain level of mistrust. For your web site to be successful you must overcome this tendency.

A clear privacy statement is one way to build your credibility. Every commercial web site should have a privacy statement posted on line. Provide a prominent link to your privacy statement from every page on the site as well as from any location that you are asking your visitors for personal information. Provide legitimate contact information on line. Your contact information should include an email address, mailing address, phone number and a fax number, if applicable. If you are unwilling to provide this information to your customers, how can they trust (or buy from) you?

5. Offer A Guarantee

Offer an ironclad, no exceptions money back guarantee. This item is really a credibility issue but it is important enough to warrant its own mention. What better way to establish your customer's trust than to eliminate any risk for them? If the customer sees that your are willing to assume all of the risk, they will immediately be more inclined to trust you.

6. Make Payment Easy

Offer a variety of payment methods for your customer. If you don't currently take credit cards, start immediately. You can either set up a merchant account or use one of the many credit card clearing houses. Take checks on line. Provide an address for those who prefer to pay by cash, check or money order. Make sure the payment process is clear, easy to access and intuitive to use. Eliminate as many steps as possible. Do not ask for any more information than is necessary to complete the transaction. Nothing frightens a customer off faster than feeling that their privacy is being invaded.

7. Simple Navigation

Make site navigation easy and intuitive. While it may be artistic to make your index page all black and hide the link to continue, will that generate business? If your customer can not navigate your site to find what they want, they will go elsewhere. Limit the choices and direct your customers through a sales process.

8. Consistency

Make sure the site is consistent in look, feel and design. Nothing is more jarring and disturbing to a customer than feeling as if they have just gone to another site. Keep colors and themes constant throughout the site.

9. Design for indexing

85% of all web users find what they are looking for via the top search engines. Make sure that your page is designed to maximize your placement. Focus on your keywords and keyword density but don't sacrifice your message. Utilize the meta tags keywords, description and title. Use your keywords when naming your pages.

10. Content is (still) king

Good content sells product. Ask yourself the following questions. Does your copy convey the message you wish to get across to your visitors? Is it compelling? Does it lead your visitor through the sales process? Have others review, critique and edit your copy to insure it is delivering the intended message. Always double check your spelling and grammar.

Implementing the ten steps above probably will not make your site as successful as Yahoo or Amazon overnight. If they are implemented correctly and integrated into an overall web site design and marketing campaign, you should see a marked improvement in the site's traffic and sales...Contact me on facebook .. www.facebook.com/alok1984

Tips for Web Designers From an Internet Marketer’s Perspective

Regardless of if you work at a full-service web company or as a freelance web designer, you will eventually have to work with internet marketers.  Being that I work as an internet marketer at a web agency, I have daily interaction with designers, programmers, IT/support, and other marketers.  One thing I have noticed is that there is not a good connection across departments.  No matter if you are creating a new site, doing a redesign, or simply adding a page, it is important to have good internal communication.

Specifically between the designer and the marketer, there needs to be a strong understanding.  The designer needs to focus on creating a site that is visually pleasing, while the marketer needs to give a clear understanding of the site goals.  This will make it easier for the designer to create a site that accomplishes the overall client objectives and engages visitors.

Work Together From The Beginning

There is a myth that the marketing of a website doesn’t take place until after the site has been built.  This is absolutely untrue.  If you are working with an Internet Marketer/SEO it is important to work together from the beginning to formulate a strategy that will be inline with the clients goals.  You can save yourself time and the client money, if everyone is on the same page.

Regardless of the client goals there are a number of things to discuss:

• Site & Content Architecture
• Determine to use Static or Dynamic Title/Meta Description Tags
• Determine Static Pages or CMS
• What Content the Client Can Control
• Use a Well Thought-out Navigation
• Discuss the Target Audience, Demographics, and Geographic Location

There are also some SEO best practices that the designer should be aware of:

• Use Keyword-rich Anchor Text
• Use Keyword-rich File Naming Conventions for Images
• Using H Tags and Alt Attributes on Images
• Call To Actions are Being Used
• Consistent Content Layout
• Keyword-rich URL structure (URL re-writer may need to be integrated)
• Use Good Internal Linking Throughout the Site
• Contact Form Integration (tracked in Analytics)
• Contact Information Easy To Find
• Using External CSS and js Files for Fast Load Time
• Use Flash Elements not the Entire Site
• Design a Site for Optimal Screen Resolution 

I do want to stress that Google recently has placed a lot of emphasis on your site/page load time.  Google announced a few years ago that it would use load time as a factor in quality score for PPC ads.  Now it has transferred over into how Google rank sites organically.  Keep this in mind when designing your site.  Try to minimize server calls, image sizes, css/js files, and unnecessary code to reduce load time.  Use Google Webmaster Tools , YSlow for Firebug  or Pingdom  to help you with speeding up your site.

Content Development Strategy

It is important that when organizing the content structure that it is built for scalability.  It may be that the client will want to add a new product or service down the road, if the site is built properly it will be easy to add the additional pages.

Also, during the initial keyword research and analysis the marketing team should be gathering insights into what people are searching.  This can help with creating the navigation and site structure because it can help identify different segments in the market.  Keep in mind that every page has a chance to rank in the search engines, not just the homepage.  With that in mind, SEO’s are always looking for relevant pages that can be added to the site, so it can be optimized for a specific theme.

This is a good example of showing different search “themes” or “segments” that warrants its own page.

For news or blogs that consistently create new content, it is essential to make as easy as possible for users to be able to share the content via social sites.  Add social media icons for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, StumbleUpon, and Reddit.  Also make it easy for a user to sign up for their feed via RSS.

Being Able to Track Conversions

One thing to know about Internet Marketers is that we like to track everything.  This is what helps us make data driven decisions on our marketing efforts. In order to properly track visitor and conversion data we need to make sure we have a few things setup properly in the back end.

For example, in Google Analytics we will want to make sure we add the GA script to the footer of every page on the site. Once that is completed you will want to take it a step further and setup conversion goals for the site.  If you are working with an SEO, they should have determined the sites goals.  However in order to setup the goals properly you need unique urls.

This can be accomplished with a number of ways.

• Creating a unique thank you page that the user gets directed to once a contact form is submitted (ex: domain.com/thank-you.html)
• If the form submits to itself you will have to create a virtual pageview , by modifying the analytics code slightly.  Whatever you decide to name it, that is what will have to be entered (example below).

<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-youraccountcode-1");
pageTracker._trackPageview(/virtualurl);
</script>

• If you would like to track javascript events , downloads, a video interaction or any other event learn more about how you can modify links to append tracking.  (watch a video created by Google  that talks more about event tracking and virtual pageviews)
• If you are working with an ecommerce system be sure to turn on the ecommerce functionality in the setup of Google Analytics.  This will pull in purchase and revenue data.

Look out for Blackhat SEO & Duplicate Content Issues

Some web designers and developers will intentionally or unintentionally trick the search engines  into placing a website higher in the search rankings. This can include hidden text, hidden links, sneaky redirects, keyword stuffing and link farming.  The marketing team you are working with should make you aware of any potential issues that currently exist with the site and anything that could penalize a sites rankings.

Probably the most common issues for duplicate content are on shopping sites where the same  products content can be found on a unique product page, a category page, and even the homepage.  If there are multiple options for a product (ex: color, size) there can be multiple urls for the same product.  If you site has hundreds or thousands of products, this can create tons of duplicate content.

To resolve this issue you can use a canonical tag  that will allow you to tell the engines which url is the main url.

Example:

Main URL:  http://www.example.com/page.html

Duplicate URL: http://www.example.com/page.html?sid=asdf314159265

Add to the HEAD: <link rel=”canonical” href=”http://example.com/page.html”/> to specify which URL is the main url that you want the search engines to keep in their index.

You can also use what is called page sculpting , where you allow search engine spiders to only crawl certain pages on your site.  Using the NoFollow, NoIndex tag  will tell the search engines not to crawl and index.

Landing Page Optimization

It’s important that if part of the marketing strategy is driving visitors to a targeted landing page via PPC, Banner Ads, or Paid Placement that there are dedicated pages designed to convert.  There are landing page elements that should be used in order to stimulate users to take action.

Here are some tips to think about when designing a landing page.

• Limit the Number of User Options
• Build Credibility (Testimonials, Reviews, Company Awards, etc…)
• Unique Content
• Test Page Elements (Buttons, Messaging, Images, Offers)
• Be Concise

I don’t believe a web designer needs to know the ins and outs of internet marketing and SEO, however these best practices will help produce a better product, gain better rankings, and convert more users.  It can also make the designers life easier and allows the marketer to focus on driving traffic.https://www.facebook.com/alok1984

3 Resources To Help Manage Your New WordPress Site

So, you’ve been handed the keys to your shiny new WordPress website. It has the bells, the whistles and all manner of web 2.0 niceties about it. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy to look at, and you just know the customers are about to start rolling in. However, you’ve decided that the “Contact Us” page should have your street address added to it…https://www.facebook.com/alok1984

Somebody has given you a username and password. You go to the URL they’ve provided and log in… but what now? What’s a post? What’s a page? What’s a category? What are these plug-ins you speak of? A widget, you say?

You do your best to Google for useful tutorials. The results are all highly technical and mainly related to installing and coding for WordPress… but you’ve just paid a red hot development team to do all that hard work for you. You pull your hair out in frustration and determine the website update belongs in your “Will do one day” file.

Below is a short collection of the most useful online tutorials for managing and editing content and media through your WordPress administrative interface. Keep in mind, the level of access you have to your site may mean you have different options available in the WordPress admin area, but a chat with your development team may clarify why some items aren’t there.

WordPress Quick Start Guide

Resource: http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Quick_Start_Guide

Sourcing instruction from the equine’s oral orifice here. The Codex is a repository for all things technical and abstract about WordPress installations. The Quick Start Guide (linked above) is a useful place to commence your readings. You can delve further into the bowels of the system’s functionality including obtaining access to an array of plug-ins that allow you to accomplish all manner of things from contact forms to event management.

The information here can become a little overwhelming, though, so feel free to explore the more simplified and goal-oriented instructional sites below.

Simple WP Guide

Resource: http://www.simplewpguide.com

Aimed at providing direct instruction for the simple tasks you wish to accomplish on your site. Updating and creating posts and pages. It’s laid out in simple English and good imagery to support you. It talks you through what each button does in the WYSIWYG editor. It also gives you some basic advice on how to write for the web, including consideration of some SEO techniques… something we can all use a hand with.

Lynda.com WordPress Training Tutorials

Resource: http://www.lynda.com/WordPress-training-tutorials/330-0.html

Lastly, but by no means least, are the venerable video tutorials provided by Lynda. The video tutorials are comprehensive and you can undertake them at your own pace. You are required to subscribe to the network to view most of the tutorials, but at US$25/month, it’s affordable, informative and has no long-term lock-in contracts to worry about. So, it’s not so much an expense as it is an investment in your education.

The above links are a step in the right direction in terms of using your WordPress site. Spending some time familiarising yourself with the Codex will expose an infinite amount of information about the platform and allow you to make the best informed decisions when it comes to modifying your site… whether to employ a developer or tackle it yourself. One word of warning, however, make sure you back everything up before you go making changes as it can be heartbreaking to see your brand new site laying broken while you figure out what went wrong with your last update.

How To Create A Facebook Advertising Campaign

With more than 900 million active users on Facebook globally and over 11 million Australians on the social network, it’s no wonder so many businesses are realising the huge potential of Facebook Advertising. Facebook Ads allow you to promote your business, build your brand image, attract more fans for your business Page, and ultimately drive more customers for your business.

If you’re not already taking advantage of Facebook Ads in your marketing campaigns, you’d better start now before your competitors do. This step-by-step guide will help you create your first Facebook Advertising campaign. Let’s get started…

1. Define Your Goals

Before you even start creating your first ad, you need to decide what you want to achieve from your Facebook Advertising campaign. You can’t expect success without knowing what goals you need to achieve. Setting a clear goal will allow you to accurately measure how successful the campaign really is and take appropriate action. Some of the common goals include:

• Building your Facebook Page fan base
• Building traffic to your website
• Generating leads/conversions
• Engaging you current Facebook fans

Be specific. If your goal is building new fans for your Facebook Page, establish how many new fans you want to attract within a certain period of time as well as what desired the CPF (cost per fan) is. For example, 300 fans per week at a maximum cost of $3 per fan.

2. Choose Your Ad Type & Create New Ad

To get started, go to https://www.facebook.com/advertising/ and click ‘Create an Ad’ in the top right hand corner.

You need to choose between advertising to an external URL (your website) or to your Facebook Page (based on the goals you have set in the previous step).

1. Facebook Page

   When advertising to your Facebook Page, you have 3 different ad types to choose from:
   • ‘A new ad about Web Profits’This is the most common type of Facebook Ad. It allows you to design your ad by combining great image & copy. To create the ad, follow these simple steps:
     
     1. Create a compelling copy promoting your Facebook Page. Make sure you include call to action into the copy.
     2. Choose eye catching image that. It can be your logo or any other image representing what your Facebook Page has to offer.
     3. Choose a destination tab on your Facebook Page that people will lend on after clicking on the ad.
     4. Review your ad design and make changes a needed
   • 
     Stories about their friends liking ‘Your Page’
     This type of ad simply shows stories about people liking your page to their friends. The viral element of this type of ad can be very effective, especially if people see more of their Facebook Friends liking your page. There is no designing necessary as the ad is created automatically with your Facebook Page logo.
     The nature of this ad requires you to have a certain number of Facebook Fans so that it can than be shown to their Facebook Friends.
   • 
     A specific post on ‘Your Page’
     If you want to promote a specific post you have posted on your Facebook Page, this type of ad will do the trick. It’s a great way to increase the reach of your Facebook Posts (to fans & non-fans) as well as being a useful tool for engaging your existing fan base. To create this type of ad, simply select the Facebook Post you wish to promote from the drop down menu.

2. External URL

   When creating new Facebook Ads linked to an external URL, the process is the same as for Ads going to your Facebook Page except for:
   1. You need to enter the URL instead of your Facebook Page. Make sure you generate a unique URL via Google URL Builder so you can then track the campaign success in the Google Analytics.
   2. Choose a clear headline that associates your Ad with your URL
   3. It is advised that you tick the ‘Related Page’ box. If you tick this box, your new ad will display stories about their Facebook Friends liking your Facebook Page, making the ad more personal and engaging.
   

3. Specify Your Facebook Ad Targeting

After your Facebook Ad is designed, it’s time to choose who you want to see your ad. The aim is to target Facebook users who are most likely to take the action you are looking for (liking your page, buying your product etc.).

Facebook Ads allow you to target specific users based on the following criteria:

• Location – by city, state, or country
• Demographics – by age range, gender, language, relationship status
• Education and work – by level of education or workplace
• Likes, interests – allowing you to target users by either pre-defined broad interests (e.g. Dancing) or by precise interests in form of specific keywords that you think best represent your key market (e.g. Ballet)

4. Choose A Pricing Option & Budget

As a last step, you are required to select payment type and budget for your Facebook Ads campaign.

You can either run the campaign continuously with a daily budget (e.g. $10 a day) or set a lifetime budget for the duration of your specific campaign.

To select a pricing type for your new ad, you first need to select the objective:

• ‘like my page’
  
  If you select this objective, Facebook will show your ad to people that are most likely to ‘Like’ your Facebook page and you will be charged for impressions (CPM). This means you will be charged a specific amount each time somebody sees your ad, even if nobody clicks on the ad.
  It is not recommended to use CPM pricing as a starting option for your ads because there is a danger of spending the whole budget without attracting any clicks. It’s better to test the CPM option on ads that have already been tested and have performed well in the past (i.e. ads that had high click-through-rate, CTR)https://www.facebook.com/alok1984
• ‘click on my ad or sponsored story’
  
  Under this pricing option, you will be charged every time someone clicks on your ad (CPC). You can set the maximum amount you are willing to pay for one click. Facebook will come up with a suggested bid range to help you set your bid. It’s advised to start between the suggested bid range to ensure your ads are displayed.

The amount you pay for a click depends on how many people are competing to show their ads to the same target audience as you are. Another important factor influencing the cost per click is CTR (click through rate) of your ad. The higher the CTR the lower the amount you need to pay for a click.

Once you’ve selected the payment option, you’re ready to finalise the ad. Simply click on ‘Place Order’ button to get started.

Make sure you create different ads to test various types of copy, images and targeting. This will allow you to determine which advertisement works best for your audience.

Do you need help with Facebook Ads? Learn about our Facebook marketing strategies.