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Creating an online presence with useful content is key to a successful presence on the Internet. The following summarizes an article about how to improve your company's overall Internet marketing strategy (The Costco Connection, May 2012, page 22-23). 

1. Offer information to consumers

Many people prefer to search online to learn more about a product or service seen in ads elsewhere. Your company's website should focus on helping visitors make smart buying decisions, educating consumers even before they call you or speak to a salesperson.

2. Make it easy to find

Use good keywords in your website's home page, title tag, and page content so that search engines will find your website. Be sure to interview your current customers to find out what keywords they would use to find your company. And, if you provide local services, be sure to include keywords that mention your geographic zone, such as "website design in Tigard and Portland, Oregon."

3. Focus on content

Good content is essential to Internet success! In addition to providing frequently-updated, fresh content on your website, you should seek quality links from other relevant websites as well as blogs of your own, links from other related blogs, and educational online videos that you create to help customers get the most from your products and services. 

4. Incorporate social media

Combining a quality website with a YouTube channel, Facebook fan page, online press releases, blog entries, Twitter, and other social media will round out your Internet marketing strategy and tie everything together to increase awareness of your company among consumers.

Other resources

• Google Adwords Keyword Tool (free tool for researching keywords and phrases tailored to your website)
• Wordtracker (free trial of subscription-based tools for finding good keywords and phrases and identifying websites that would be good candidates for a linking campaign)
• Ezine articles (free tool for posting informational articles that are offered free to websites and email newsletter publishers)
• SES (conferences about Internet marketing and search engine strategies)

Blogger platforms

• Blogger.com
• WordPress
• Technorati
• Cool Tools blogs (like this one)

» Read entire article in The Costco Connection 

Click above to read the entire blog article

Our friend and client Karalyn J. Eckerle of Cardinal Point Virtual Assistants wrote an excellent blog article titled "Are You Nobody? Do Your Customers Know Your Name?" We encourage you to read the entire article to fully enjoy her great tips and wonderful writing style. But if you're in a hurry and want some truly useful nuggets of marketing advice, read the Top Ten List below:

1. Branding (name association) is an important concept in business.
2. Word-of-mouth advertising is the most valuable marketing tool we have.
3. Become known in your field by telling people what you do, with passion!
4. Connect with folks through business cards that reflect your character and the type of work you do, and then be imaginative in your use of those cards.
5. Distribute at least 5 business cards every day, preferably with a customized note on the back.
6. A frequently-updated website and a blog are nearly mandatory in today's Internet-oriented business world. (Please contact us if you need help with these items!)
7. Visit Internet blogs and websites related to your business, and comment on blog articles that you find.
8. When commenting, leave a link to your own blog or website in your signature line.
9. Be a physical presence in your community, volunteering your expertise to become better known (plus, volunteering can be fun and emotionally rewarding).
10. Toot your own horn occasionally so people will know who you are and what you do.

We completed a website makeover for Karalyn's company, Cardinal Point Virtual Assistants, on January 19, 2011.