Website Marketing - Are You Feeling Overwhelmed?

Sitting in front of my laptop trying to decide whether I should:
- write a new article,
- create a video and upload it to online video directories,
- make a few posts into various forums,
- get onto Facebook and post some helpful tips,
- share new designs on Pinterest,
- tweet my latest discoveries on Twitter, or
- write a new blog post, or perhaps I should investigate more about Search Engine Optimisation

The reality is I should probably be doing all of the above and then some …

But the longer I sit here, I am feeling more anxious and unable to move ... I can't make a decision about what to do.

If you research online about the best way to promote your business, you've probably felt the same panic. You want to keep up with the latest trends and technologies, but the online world is spinning so much faster and you just can’t keep up.

Now what?

It’s time to let off some steam (Just remember to close all the doors and windows, so your neighbours can’t hear you scream) ….

GRRRRRAAAAGHHH!!!! ….

Are you feeling better? I know I am.

I still haven’t decided whether to blog, tweet, facebook, record, write, post or eat some chocolate, but I definitely feel relieved.

What now?

Time to just sit still, turn the phone off, shut down the internet and just be – preferably outside and in fresh air.

Amazing how getting away from the computer can suddenly give you a new perspective.
By now, you are hopefully feeling a little more sane and are able to think more rationally.

One little step at a time.

Now write a list of everything you would like to achieve in a week.

2 Facebook posts
4 Tweets
1 Blog Post
1 Article
1 Video

All of a sudden it doesn’t seem so overwhelming.

If I have learnt one thing about internet marketing or working on a large project it’s this. All you need to do is take one step at a time.
Set yourself an achievable weekly goal – work on your marketing  for ½ hour to 1 hour a day and before you know it you have achieved so much.
You will be far ahead of everyone else, because most people are still sitting in front of their computer, overwhelmed and unable to move.

No need to jump onto all the latest trends and try to do everything at the same time. You only need to do a little bit every day ... select several marketing strategies and be consistent.  You will be amazed at your results, if you just start moving.
And what do you know … I’ve just done my article for the week … time to grab a coffee and watch the world go by.
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Ivana Katz makes it easy for you to get your business online very quickly. If you're looking for a professional and affordable website designer, visit www.web4business.com.au and download a free website plan or connect with Ivana on Facebook and Google+

Are You Social Media Challenged? | SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources

Remember that kid from high school, you know the one who really didn't know how to socialize with others. He may have been home-schooled or secluded for the first 16 years of his/her life and as a result was socially challenged? You know what I mean? They would make inappropriate comments, add irrelevant content to a conversation, or just try to impress you with how smart they were by using grammar most people in college would not understand let alone a bunch of high school kids. We often refer to these types of people as, "socially challenged." The question I have for you is: Are you socially challenged in your social media marketing?
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Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business

ActivePro » Blog Archive » Place Important Content Above The Fold To Increase Conversions

ActivePro » Blog Archive » Place Important Content Above The Fold To Increase Conversions

There are many ways to improve the conversion rate of your website. Copywriting, images, design and offers are all important, but one of the most basic steps is to ensure your important content is placed “above the fold”.



What Does “Above the Fold” Mean?


This term simply refers the portions of a webpage that can be visible without scrolling. This is seen as the most important real estate on any web page as other content can be missed if a customer decides to leave the current page for any reason.


The term originates from newspapers – where important stories are placed on front side of folded papers to entice people to buy them.

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Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business
www.web4business.com.au

Articles - How to Get Free Super Powerful Publicity for your Business

Articles - How to Get Free Super Powerful Publicity for your Business

Having worked with a large number of small business owners, one common mistake I see over and over again is the obscene amounts of money they throw away on advertising. Many of them believe the more money they spend, the more business it will bring. WRONG!!! WRONG!!! WRONG!!!

So what’s a new entrepreneur to do?

It’s simple!!! Write articles.

Writing articles is an excellent way for you to get free publicity. Getting an article published is free and some publications even pay for your contributions. The publicity you receive by having your article published in a newspaper, magazine or website can be worth thousands of dollars in equivalent advertising space. Well written articles yield better results than advertisements and earn you respect from customers, who see you as an expert in your field. 

Read complete article ...

Ivana Katz

Websites 4 Small Business

www.web4business.com.au

SEO News: 6 Things You Can Do Today to Drive Traffic to Your Website

SEO News: 6 Things You Can Do Today to Drive Traffic to Your Website

Website (and business) marketing is not a one off exercise. Whether you have a brand new website or one that you've had for a while, you need to continue promoting it in order to bring you more visitors.

You need to constantly work on it, fine-tune it, discard methods that are not working and implement new ones.

The following 6 methods are simple to implement and can be done for free by you today.

1. Email Marketing

Your first step should be to send an email to your existing clients announcing the existence of your website. You should also ask your customers to forward your email onto their friends, family and colleagues.

If you are starting a new business and don't have any customers yet, send an email to people you know who may be interested in your offer.

Remember to email your clients every time you make changes, add new offers or features to your website to remind them to come back.

The next step could be to send your announcement to an opt-in email list. Opt-in email lists contain people or businesses who have requested to receive information about certain topic(s). There are many companies who can provide you with these lists.

Under no circumstance should you EVER send unsolicited email (spam) to people you either don't know or who have not requested to receive your information.

Read complete article

Ivana Katz

www.web4business.com.au

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Stop Wasting Money Driving Traffic to Your Website!

Many new online entrepreneurs waste thousands of dollars promoting their shiny new websites, only to be disappointed by the results. They are so excited about finally having arrived on the internet, they want to announce it to the world! And who can blame them.

If you are blushing right now because you have thrown away a lot of money promoting your website without getting the results you were hoping, read on ... all is not lost.

Read complete article ...


Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business

What are Joint Venture Giveaway Events

Joint Venture Giveaway Events


What are Joint Venture Giveaway Events?


As you may know I am really into joint venturing. I believe that this is the way forward in today's economy. One of the most exciting new internet trends to emerge recently are Giveaway events, and they are gaining popularity really fast. 

Mostly they are free, but you can pay a little to get more exposure. They are designed to help you grow your list. If you are interested at all in expanding your list, I would really recommend joining one. This is one that is starting in a couple of days and runs for the next two weeks. It's the right time of year and getting into all of these joint venture giveaway events and getting your products in could build you an email list much larger than you might think right now.
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Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business

Promote your business via social media

What is Social Media?
 
Wikipedia describes Social Media as an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. Social media can take many different forms, including Internet forums, message boards, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video. Technologies include: blogs, picture-sharing, vlogs, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, crowdsourcing, and voice over IP, to name a few... Read complete article
 
Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business

What Marketing Do You REALLY Need Right Now?

Are you feeling overwhelmed by what marketing strategies to implement? Read on ... this is a great article, which addresses what most small business owners are feeling.

What Marketing Do You REALLY Need Right Now?

Many small business owners I talk to always seem to be playing catch up when it comes to their marketing.

Last week when I told a small business owner that she was doing a good job with her marketing, she replied “Oh, but I have so much to do!” in an apologetic tone.

So I asked her, “What is it that you have to do?”

“Well,” she said, “I need to redo my website, write a new brochure, update my Facebook page, and call clients whom I haven’t seen for a while.

“I’m also wondering, do I need to get a Twitter account and do I need to have a blog AND a website?”

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Ivana Katz

Websites 4 Small Business

10 Easy Ways to Increase Sales

SiteProNews: 10 Easy Ways to Increase Sales

One of the most common questions asked by internet business owners is “How can I increase sales?” Many articles, ebooks and reports have been written on this subject and trying to absorb that information just tends to make us more confused than ever! Below are some easy, innovative ideas to increase sales that anybody can implement into their online marketing strategies.

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Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business

Most Common Blogging Mistakes You Need to Avoid

SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources » Blog Archive » Most Common Blogging Mistakes You Need to Avoid

Promoting an online business can be easy if you know the tools and techniques to use. One effective way used by internet marketers is blogging. How can you make your online marketing through blogs more effective? Below are ten blogging mistakes you should know to help you avoid committing them:

1) Not being committed

If blogging is just your past time, then you can get away with blogging whenever you feel like it. But if you’re blogging is part of your online marketing technique, commitment is important. See to it that you give time to blogging on a regular basis.

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Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business

How to Develop Social Media-Friendly Content for your Website

SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources » Blog Archive » How to Develop Social Media-Friendly Content for your Website:

One of the most effective ways of increasing visibility online is via social media websites yet it is a tricky venture to say the least. There are hundreds of social media sites out there, each with a particular type of audience. Rather than joining every single social media site and submitting content as a freshly new member, consider lurking for a while, joining in discussions, and adding value to the community.

Would you jump into the middle of a group of people and start promoting your business in real life? Probably not and it’s the same way in social media yet newbies seem to think that it’s okay to do that. First search for social media sites that you think are a good fit. Become a member and start interacting with others. Comment and vote on other stories and study what type of stories tend to be popular on each site you visit. Try to be an active member of a social media community for at least a few months before attempting to submit your own content and making it viral.

Continue reading SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources » Blog Archive » How to Develop Social Media-Friendly Content for your Website

For more information about website design, small business promotion and marketing, visit www.web4business.com.au

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business

SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources » Blog Archive » Traffic Building Strategies That Work

SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources » Blog Archive » Traffic Building Strategies That Work

I was up at a friends place the other day and he mentioned somewhat casually that he was closing his store down and moving to another location. Since he had operated at that location for about ten years, I was surprised by this revelation. When I asked him the reasons for his relocation he replied quickly, “Bill, if you want to make money in this business, you’ve got to go where the traffic is” While this statement may seem somewhat simplistic, it’s good sound advice regardless of what type of business you’re operating.

It’s no different in the world of Cyberspace because without sufficient website traffic, your chances of success are slim and none. While there are numerous methods of building web traffic, the reality is that it takes time and effort to build a web presence and steady traffic. While many traffic building strategies cost money, the good news is that many site traffic builders are free. Some excellent ways to increase traffic that are low cost and even free are; reciprocal linking, traffic exchanges, writing articles and posting to forums.

Continue Reading Traffic Building Strategies That Work

For more information about website design and website promotion, visit Websites 4 Small Business

Ivana Katz
www.web4business.com.au

SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources » Blog Archive » A Twits Guide to Twitter Promotion… 10 Top Tips

SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources » Blog Archive » A Twits Guide to Twitter Promotion… 10 Top Tips

If you are not using Twitter effectively, you are missing out on a serious opportunity for promoting your business. For those that do not already know, Twitter is an online service, designed to let family, friends and workers chat and stay in touch. Twitter famously asks the question; “what are you doing?”

As well as being a great place to socialise, twitter can be an amazing tool for promoting your business, but only if you know how to work it… here is a mini guide to working with Twitter. The first few tips are about how to get started on Twitter, and then we move on to how to get followers. Finally, we look at what to do with the followers when you have them. We assume you guys and gals are capable of actually registering for an account at twitter.com yourselves. ...

Continue reading A Twits Guide to Twitter Promotion… 10 Top Tips

For more information about running a small business and website design & promotion, visit, www.web4business.com.au

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business
www.web4business.com.au

SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources » Blog Archive » Social Media Mistakes

SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources » Blog Archive » Social Media Mistakes

With so much talk about social media these days, everyone is jumping on board and trying it out. We are seeing some common mistakes out there and I thought it was important to address these mistakes to help eradicate them in the future.

Don’t get me wrong, there will be a learning curve - we all went through it (and I met some great people that helped me, and that I helped along the way) but the key is to learn up front to minimize errors!
So, here we go…

Mistake One: Completely Ignoring Social Media

Believe it or not there are still some people out there that are ignoring social media. They may be unsure of how to participate or maybe they just don’t have time to get involved. No matter what the reason, this is a big mistake. Social media continues to grow in popularity and in importance to internet users - the exact users you are trying to reach.

Continue reading Social Media Mistakes

For more information about website design and website promotion, visit http://www.web4business.com.au/

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business

Website Design - A Pretty Face is Not Enough (When It Comes to Your Website)

SiteProNews: A Pretty Face is Not Enough (When It Comes to Your Website)

Imagine meeting someone new ... they have a beautiful face, lovely hair, stunning smile, drop dead gorgeous body and are dressed in designer clothes. Naturally you are attracted to their striking appearance, so you start talking to them. After a few minutes you realize this person has no personality, only talks about himself/herself and has no interest in finding out about you. Any attempt on your part to speak gets shut down and if you do manage to ask a question their answer is usually 'Yes, but ... let's get back to me'.

How long do you think you would stay and chat to this person? Do you think you would want to become friends? Probably not.

Continue reading SiteProNews: A Pretty Face is Not Enough (When It Comes to Your Website)

For more information about running a small business and website design, visit www.web4business.com.au

How to Use Video to Improve Google Ranking & Conversions | WebProNews

How to Use Video to Improve Google Ranking & Conversions | WebProNews

Online video is consuming the web as we know it whether you like it or not. Some prefer text content over video in most cases, and that's ok too. I don't think text is going anywhere, but demand for video is on the rise from both consumers, and businesses looking to stay on top of their marketing. Just like not all text is great, not all video is great, but when done well, I think you will find that it offers plenty of reward.

Continue reading How to Use Video to Improve Google Ranking & Conversions | WebProNews

For more information about website promotion, visit www.web4business.com.au

Do Your Customers Trust You?

Do Your Customers Trust You? WebProNews

Making a purchase online, especially a substantial one, can be a nerve-wracking process for a consumer. The primary problem, aside from price, is trust. Shoppers negotiate their relationship with the vendor in much the same way they negotiate relationships with any stranger: by seeking information.

What an online vendor lacks (and what becomes a disadvantage) is one-on-one interaction with the customer. As such, the customer must put forth additional effort to find out about a product for sale. Making this task easier can make all the difference in closing a sale.

According to GetElastic, an online retailer should strive to answer these customer questions ahead of time to reduce purchase anxiety ....

Continue reading "Do Your Customers Trust You? WebProNews"

For more information about running a small business and website design, visit:
http://www.web4business.com.au/

Website Design - Does Your Website Need an Extreme Makeover?

Articles - Does Your Website Need an Extreme Makeover?

It was Friday night and I was enjoying a quiet dinner at home, when suddenly CRACK! – part of my tooth broke off!!!!! “Damn” I thought, “Now what?” I immediately went online to see if I could find a dentist that is open on Saturday morning. So I searched and searched.

The good news was there were plenty of dentists in my area … the bad news was that I couldn’t find whether they were open on Saturdays. After looking through various websites for about an hour, I narrowed it down to three dentists, who were open on the weekend. But in the end there was no competition as only one of the dentists had a professional looking website! ...

Read more on Does Your Website Need an Extreme Makeover?

For more information about website design, go to
http://www.web4business.com.au/

Website Marketing - Using Blogs as a Free Marketing Tool For Your Business

Articles - Using Blogs as a Free Marketing Tool For Your Business

I admit I stuck my head in the sand when I first heard about Blogs. It was just too hard (so I thought) - another new technology to master and I wasn’t even sure of the benefits, so I ignored them for a while.

Then I attended a marketing seminar where a whole session was devoted to Blogs - how simple they were to set up and use and what unbelievable benefits they provided for a business. And the best part – most of them are free!!!!

So what exactly is a blog?

A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger." Blogs are typically updated daily or weekly using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog.

Read more about Using Blogs as a Free Marketing Tool For Your Business

For information about creating a website for your small business, go to:
http://www.web4business.com.au/