Archive for the ‘Directories’ Category
Sunday, October 26th, 2008
Jay Gaulard writes for a wide selection of websites on various topics. He is a veteran of the internet and has come to be respected in his many areas of expertise. This article was written on behalf of Experato, a popular website directory.
Build a Name for Your Website with a Website Directory
You’ve built a brand new website for your business and you’re really excited. However, you have to do something to get the word out and you’re not sure what to do. You know that you can post flyers all over your town or simply tell your friends, but that’s not going to do much for you. So what are you going to do?
Well, you’re going to start with a website directory. The website directory is an effective way to combat the always changing algorithms of search engines and to really get an edge on the competition. Basically, you need to do all that you can to ensure that you are marketing your site correctly and a website directory is going to help you do that. You’re going to be able to battle some of the hardships of Internet marketing is you use a directory to get the word out.
Using the directory
Another thing that is special about submitting your website to a website directory is that you get a free back link to your website. The back link is very important because the more links you have on the web, the better off your site is. This means it is going to be indexed by search engine spiders.
You see, search engine spiders follow these links to your site and then they index your site. The more links you have out there, the more your site is going to be indexed. This means that you’ll show up higher in the search engine results when someone searches for what it is you are offering your customers and potential customers.
As for how the directory works, it is a place in which the websites are compiled into categories. They are also divided up into subcategories to make searching easier. Because these categories are divided up into subcategories, the search engine spiders recognize them. Needless to say, these directories are visited by search engine spiders more than many other sites. This is because of the quality of the back links. The back links are of a high quality at these sites, which is why you need to utilize a website directory.
Choosing the right website directory
Choosing the right website directory doesn’t have to be difficult. There are some things that you have to look for in order to make that determination. Those things are:
To pay or not to pay - There are pay directories and there are free directories. Determine which is best for you. Free directories still provide you with that back link. It is true there will be a lot more sites posted there, but they are effective.
Check the page rank - Check the page rank of the website directory. That way, you know that it is a popular site. You can also check into sites to see how they are growing. If a site is growing, then that is a sign that it is a popular directory that is emerging. You definitely want to get in on that.
Look at both general and specific directories - You want to do this because both can be effective. You can post on a specific directory and post on a general directory. This will broaden the exposure that your site gets.
You don’t have to be restricted to just one website directory. You can use all sorts of website directories. This is important in getting those high quality back links that will make your site successful. There is not a rule anywhere that says you’re only allowed to post your website to a single website directory. If there were, then it would be impossible for a lot of sites to be successful on the Internet.
Submission options
You also have submission options. These options are manual, using submission software, and using a directory submission service. The directory submission service may use software or do it manually. However, there are article directories out there that will not accept submissions from software. They want to ensure that real people are doing the posting. Many of these directories have real people approving the submissions, so it is hard if they have to approve thousands of submissions submitted by these software programs. It happens, but it is a good idea to do it manually. If you don’t have time to do it yourself, look into the directory submission service.
How to maximize the benefits
It isn’t enough to simply post your website link up on a website directory. There are ways in which you can maximize the benefits. It will be worth your while to follow these tips so that you can make sure that you profit from your efforts:
If you’re submitting to more than one website directory, you need to vary your description. Don’t use the same description for every directory.
Make sure the text that accompanies your website link is really good stuff. That means you want it to draw people in. You want them to click on your link. Believe it or not, people browse website directories, especially if they’re looking for a website that focuses on certain material.
Make as many submissions as possible to website directories. Make sure they are directories that you can track back easily. Make sure they are easy to manage as well. You don’t want to go for directories that are hard to follow.
Make sure that you choose directories that will also allow you to submit the links to your inner pages. This allows for better indexing and will also allow more people to find you.
After this, you might as well give your website a pair of running shoes. This is because it is going to take off like wildfire. It is going to run like the wind. It is important that you be prepared, because the moment you start submitting your site is the moment that it enters the race of website popularity.
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Saturday, October 18th, 2008
Jay Gaulard writes for a wide selection of websites on various topics. He is a veteran of the internet and has come to be respected in his many areas of expertise. This article was written on behalf of BizLeeg, a popular business directory website.
Almost Free Ways to Market Your Business Online
If you have a website, chances are pretty high that you spend a lot of time looking for ways to market your business online. Paying for advertisements can be quite expensive, and today’s Internet user is so desensitized to online banner ads that advertising in this manner can be highly ineffective. However, there are many ways that you can advertise your business online without paying much or without paying anything at all! You just need to know where to look.
Develop an Online Newsletter
Do you have an online mailing that you send to your customers? If not, you need to develop one. When your customers make a purchase online, have them sign up to receive “future offers” or an informative newsletter. You can also leave a form on your website for them to sign up to receive your newsletter. You may want to offer something free for this, such as a discount code, free tip, or a free gift.
Once you have your customer’s email address, put it to good use. Make your newsletter as good as it can possibly be. If you already have an online mailing in place, make it better. No one likes spam, so make the newsletter informative, helpful, and interesting. Throw in a coupon or two from time to time to keep the customer interested in reading the newsletter. Avoid using too many graphics, as this can keep some users from receiving the letter depending on their spam folder settings.
Become an Expert in Your Industry
Chances are you already are an expert in your industry. Use this to your advantage as you market online. Join forums that relate to your industry. Then, post useful comments. Do this often. Soon you will have a small online “following” that comes to you for advice. You can then point them towards your website for more information.
As you post in forums, make sure you follow the posting guidelines. Some forums will allow you to link to your website in your signature line. Others will allow you to link in actual discussions. Others do not allow any links at all, but may allow you to put a link in your profile. Since your time is valuable, choose forums that allow links, at least in your signature.
No matter what the forum rules may be, make sure that your posts do not sound like an ad. Give genuine, helpful advice to the people on the forum. Become a part of the community. You will be surprised at how much your bottom line increases with this strategy.
You can use this same rule to market using blogs. Comment on blog discussions relating to your industry whenever you can, and make the link take the reader back to your site. You can insert a link in your name field, but do not say, “you can find out more at my site.” That will be a turn off to most readers, but if they like what you have to say they will be willing to click on your name and visit your link.
Create Your Own Blog
As you are working towards making yourself an expert in the field, you might want to set up your own blog. You can discuss newsworthy items that relate to your industry, and you can include a link on the toolbar to your ecommerce site. You can link to your blog in your forum posts and blog comments as well. If you do not have time to write blog posts on a regular basis, you can hire someone else to do it for you.
As you work to create your blog, make sure it is interesting. People who read blogs are looking for entertainment as much as they are looking for information. Do not be afraid to discuss something a little controversial. The more people that link to your blog from theirs, even if they are saying how crazy your idea is, the more traffic you will eventually generate for your ecommerce or business site.
Use YouTube
Believe it or not, the popular video site YouTube is a great way to market a business, and posting a video is completely free. Now, like your forum and blog posts, you do not want to post a blatant advertisement on YouTube. However, you can create an informative “how to” that relates to your industry, and then link to your website at the end of the video.
The key to successful marketing with YouTube is not creating a fancy video full of special effects. It is making a video that is appealing to people. You want people to want to watch your video, email it to their friends, and post it on their blogs. Do not be afraid to do something a little crazy and fun, but make sure that it does not detract from your business.
Use Online Business Directories
Online business directories are another way to market your business online. Keep in mind that there is a wide range of prices for these directories. Some charge high fees for listings, while others have free or low-cost listings available. Choose a directory that gets plenty of traffic but does not charge too much for your link. Make sure you can have some control over what is said in your listing. Also, make sure the directory is well laid out with an easy to understand organizational structure. Remember, your potential customers are not going to stay on a business directory site that is confusing or difficult to navigate.
That being said, list your business in as many free business directories as possible. After all, if the listing is free, it cannot hurt your business, and it will probably draw some traffic to your site. Some of these directories make money off of other types of ads, such as pay per click ads, so they allow businesses to create listings for free.
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Monday, September 15th, 2008
This article was written by Jay Gaulard on behalf of ArticleLeeg, a popular online article website.
Marketing your business through online article websites allows you to reach a huge number of prospective customers without spending a lot of money.
Using Online Article Websites to Promote Yourself
These days it really doesn’t matter if you sell products and services online or offline. Your prospective buyers may live a block from you and can run down the street to purchase your goods. They will still likely find you, or at least keep up with your activities online. This is why you should use the Internet for your promotional and marketing efforts. So, how do you use online article websites to promote your business? The answer is really very simple.
Marketing through online article websites allows businesses to reach prospective clients down the block or on the other side of the world. The subjects of your online articles should be designed to reach your niche market. This is the group of prospective consumers that are already interested in your type of product or service. By beginning to make a name for yourself, you will become a recognized seller and an expert in your field. People will trust you and your advice and they will pass the word to others who may be interested in your products or services.
Online Article Marketing
Marketing your business through online article websites allows you to reach a huge number of prospective customers without spending a lot of money. These websites basically do all of the legwork for you. You only have to submit a well-written, keyword rich and informative article that conveys the information you want to get distributed. Interested consumers are already looking for information about your products or services. The more they see your name appear with informational content, the more they will see you as an expert on the subject.
Think about how you search for information about a particular subject. You type keywords into your search box, and the search engine brings up the matches for you. Seems easy enough, right? It really is. All you have to do is supply good information and proper keywords in your article and the marketing website uses those keywords to get your article searched by the most popular search engines.
Writing the Online Article
Write a catchy headline that includes your keywords. The title is the first thing the search engine spiders will crawl to see if the article is appropriate to the requested search. It is your first chance to win someone over. A good title either grabs the readers’ attention or makes them move on. The title should convey the topic your article covers.
Use keywords strategically placed throughout the article. Also be sure your article is search engine optimized (SEO) so that you are providing a lot of useful information that will be ranked high on the search engine lists. You submit the article to a good online article website and provide your website and contact information in the author’s box. That’s it!
When someone types in the keywords you have used, your article will be one of the references that appears on their results list. The more articles you submit like this, the more recognizable your name and product becomes. Internet technology has created new avenues for businesses to promote their websites, their products and services and their overall philosophies and knowledge about their area of expertise. Through the use of online article websites, you can promote and build your business successfully whether you want to remain small and home-based or become a multi-million dollar conglomerate. As you promote your business, you will also be able to do more of the following:
* Obtain more customers
* Enjoy the freedom of using the Internet on your own schedule
* Make use of all of the Internet marketing options available to you
* Take up less of your time for marketing efforts
You really have nothing to lose and everything to gain by using online article websites to promote your business. Why not get that first article written and submitted to an online article website today? What are you waiting for?
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Monday, September 15th, 2008
This article was written by Jay Gaulard on behalf of BlogLeeg, a popular blog directory.
If you’re blogging without pinging blog directories, you’re missing out. Blog directories help your blog get more traffic.
Blog Directories Can Bring Big Traffic to Your Blog
When the Internet was young, search engine traffic came at a premium price. Websites could buy their way into search engine listings, but there was no guarantee that the purchase would result in a significant amount of traffic.
Today, the rules are much different. In some ways it’s much easier to get great traffic from search engines, but in other ways it’s even harder. A website has to have a lot of clout before Google or Yahoo will list it in their top returns, but there are many ways to make your site more attractive to the search engines.
If you’re trying to build traffic for a blog, the best thing you can do for increased traffic is to blog and ping. This slightly humorous-sounding term simply means that you let blog directories know each time you make a new blog post.
By cluing in the blog directories whenever you add a new blog post, you’re building traffic in two ways. You might get an initial rush of traffic from the blog directory as readers click through to see your new entry. The real magic happens when the search engines follow the link from the blog directory back to your blog.
The search engine then finds other material to index. As you keep getting more links to your blog, the search engine has more pages to index. Eventually you’ll find your blog turning up in searches. You won’t be in the top couple of pages right away, but you will see your search engine traffic rise.
Blog and ping might sound a little complicated, but it’s actually very easy. Most major blog platforms ping the major blog directories automatically. If you want to ping a blog directory that’s not listed in their default list, you can usually add it manually.
What if you don’t actually have a blog yet? Well, it’s time to hop on the bandwagon. Blogs are useful for conveying your personal thoughts to anyone and everyone, about whatever subjects you choose. You can keep in touch with far-away relatives or just give yourself a creative outlet.
Lately, though, blogs are used quite often as marketing tools for businesses. The business blog can take many forms, from an informal journal kept by a CEO to a formal, frequently-updated record of new products.
Setting up a new blog is not difficult at all, and you have several options to do it. Most often, new bloggers set up a blog with one of the popular blogging platforms. These platforms offer standard templates, or you can create your own to match your company’s color scheme or your personal preferences.
Once your blog is set up and ready to go, don’t forget to make sure that it pings every blog directory possible. Blogging without pinging the blog directories is like spinning your wheels: you’re doing something, but you’re not making any progress.
If your blogging platform does not support pinging or doesn’t submit to the directories you want, you can use software to accomplish the same thing. It’s available under many different titles, but the basic function is to take your most recent blog post and send it to several blog directories. Your links start building up, your search engine traffic increases, and you are one happy blogger.
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Posted in Blogs, Directories | 1 Comment »
Monday, September 15th, 2008
This article was written by Jay Gaulard on behalf of http://www.experato.com, a popular website directory.
Does your online business need more exposure than it’s currently getting? To jump start your business and see your number of online visitors skyrocket, try using an online website directory service.
Boost Your Website Traffic with a Directory Service
Are you looking to increase traffic to your website? Does your online business need more exposure than it’s currently getting? To jump start your business and see your number of online visitors skyrocket, try using an online website directory service.
An online website directory service is a website that features every type of business imaginable. From dog food to florists, all of the business websites are neatly categorized into headings and subheadings.
The category system of organization helps the online website directory to be as user friendly as possible. It offers up a wealth of information in a manner that is easy to understand.
It is important for web surfers to find the information they desire quickly and easily. Website directories are constructed to make a visitor’s experience convenient and hassle free. The pleasant experience a potential customer encounters when using a website directory will directly affect their overall impression of your business.
If you are affiliated with a directory that is well-designed and easy to use, it makes your business look professional. If you are listed on a sub-par site that is cluttered and chaotic, it will make your business look unorganized and give a bad impression to your potential clients.
Often, the best online website directory service is one that listens to the needs of its visitors. For instance, if a web surfer sees that a new category is needed for a certain group of businesses, the website should make it easy for them to submit their suggestions.
After all, their ease of use on the website translates into web traffic for their valued advertisers. Make sure the online directory you choose to list your business with cares about the satisfaction of their visitors.
Many online website directory services also allow their users to rank and review the websites they frequent. If you have a particularly good website, listing it on a directory service is a must. It will earn you the positive feedback that your online content deserves.
Another convenient feature that is offered by a good online website directory service is a search tool. Imagine if a potential client was looking for your website through the directory, but couldn’t remember the exact name of your business. The client could simply go back to the directory and type in as much of your business’ name as could be remembered.
Because there are far fewer competitors listed in an online website directory than in a huge search engine, clients are far more likely to find your website again. In this manner, an online website directory service makes you easier to find online than lots of the competition.
In fact, some directories offer more than a simple, standard search feature. The best directories offer an advanced search option, sometimes called a power search, that allows visitors to search by a person’s name, e-mail address or business category. This is very useful if a potential client can remember your e-mail address, but not your business’ name or phone number.
Often, you can add your business’ website to an online directory service for free. The directory will provide you with a backlink to your website at no cost to you, just like registering your domain name for free with the major search engines. So, if there’s no charge, listing your website on a directory is a no-brainer.
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