Search is a Tiny Fraction of Internet Marketing

There is so much more to the Internet Marketing than Google Search.

Every well marketed website should have achieved the front result page of a relevant keyword search. This is a benchmark for businesses that are taking their website seriously. A high ranking could be achieved either:

• By being ranked in the top 10 natural/organic listings of relevant keywords through search engine optimisation.


• Or with a Google AdWords search engine marketing campaign.

But being listed highly on both of these will only give you a fraction of your potential online advertising coverage. These search result pages make up only about 5% of the pages on the Internet and users spend even less than 5% of their time on these pages. People spend most of their time on actual websites.

To be accessible in the remaining 95% of the time when your customers are not searching, you must advertise on other websites.

With Google AdWords we can place your ad on other websites that are part of the Google Content Network. This includes popular websites such as YouTube, About.com, HowStuffWorks; local news websites such as nzherald and 3News; blogs and the websites of other businesses. These sites have signed up to Google’s AdSense program allowing Google to place ads on their site. The sites have been checked for content to ensure the placement of your ad is relevant.

Our Attractum ads are displayed on Google Content Network sites that have content about search engine marketing or optimisation because that is what the ad and our website is about.

Above: Our ad on a popular web page about search engine marketing (About.com)

Potential visitors that have missed your site on search pages have the opportunity to get to your site via other related web pages; perhaps even competitor pages.

You are missing out on much more valuable traffic by limiting your advertising and optimisation to search result pages.

Contact us today. Ask us to get your ads on more relevant places on the web. When you work with Attractum you will be working with a qualified Google Advertising Professional. We guarantee you more business. And as always, we will not work with any of your competitors.

Advertising on Other Websites

If you are relying on your website traffic to come from listings on search engines either through optimisation or pay-per-click advertising, you are missing out!

Only 5% of the pages on the Internet are search engine results! According to search engine giant Google, Internet users spend even less than 5% of their browsing time on search result pages. What does this mean if your website is only promoted on search engines? It means you are getting a small fraction of the possible traffic to your site and are limiting your exposure to when people are searching.

Over 70% of the Internet’s web pages are open for advertising! These are large websites, some are dynamically generated, and many enjoy high traffic volumes. They are the most popular sites on the web where people spend most of their time – potentially being exposed to your message.

Reflect on your own web browsing habits. How long do you spend on search engine pages? Don’t you find a site that is relevant to your search and spend time on it? Perhaps you do a few more searches to find what else the Internet has?

While you are in these websites you pay a lot of attention to the content. You are looking for special offers and other related links that may help you. While on the net you might even check your webmail, message some friends or relatives on Facebook and check news stories that you are interested in. All of these places can be linked to your site with targeted advertising!

You spend much more time and attention on other sites than on search pages. Search pages are an important starting point, but that is just the start! If someone doesn’t click on your AdWords ad here or on your optimised high ranking link then you have missed out on that customer. Advertising on other sites means you can still reach your market via the sites they visit day-to-day.

Advertising on other websites means you can drive traffic from all over the web. At Attractum™ we drive relevant traffic to your site from the best known sites in the world and those less-known sites with niche interests. Whatever your particular audience is, we drive targeted traffic to your site.

Sites that are related to, or attract the same audience as yours are the best to advertise on. Advertising costs money; so target your advertising placements to relevant sites with the same audience to your site. This will help ensure that those viewing your ad will have greater interest in your product.

If you want more business, talk to us at Attractum™. We can advertise your business more efficiently on other websites.

It is cost-efficient marketing that drives the right traffic because it is highly targeted.

Getting Your Website Noticed

If your business has recently launched a website or will be getting a website in the future then this article is for you.

In the excitement of getting a new website and having it launched, website promotion is often forgotten. Businesses often assume that once they are online, people will visit the site. With so many websites for your customers to choose from, you must do something to make your business website an option. The "build it and they will come" theory does not work on the Internet.

Many web developers are only interested in developing nice websites. They do not know how to get traffic to your site. This is why it is important to use a developer that understands business needs and not just designs. Alternatively, plan to have your site professionally marketed.

Website Promotion
Any business can get a website. Only a few businesses know how to promote their site - effectively. The most basic promotion is to your existing customers.

• Invite customers to visit your site when you meet them
• Include the URL on all signage and stationery (invoices, letterheads, POS, etc.)

Your company email addresses should share the domain of your website. Example: sarah@businessname.com Customers will assume that you have a website at businessname.com

Search Engine Optimisation
SEO is vital to your site being ranked highly on search engines. Most potential customers will use search engines to find businesses that can help them. This way they can compare you with your competitors.

This type of promotion is the most credible because it is the search engine that determines the sites that are most relevant to the searcher’s query. SEO makes your site more relevant to what your potential customers are looking for so that your site will be ranked higher. There are online marketing professionals that can do this for you.

AdWords and Search Engine Marketing
Just as it was not enough for a business to get the free listing in the White Pages, businesses are expected to be found in the Yellow Pages. This costs money, it is a paid listing - it is advertising. Online advertising is the cheapest form of advertising available today. It also can deliver the highest returns on investment when managed properly by experts who know how it works and can get you the best value placements.

SEM such as Google AdWords uses search engines to place ads in the “sponsored links” column of search results. Websites have paid to be listed here because it gets them to the top or near the top of search results without optimisation.

More than a Website
For a true online presence, a website itself is not enough. Businesses are increasingly using other networks and information services to spread their message. Blogs, social networks and using traditional offline marketing all adds to your online presence and pushes more people to your site.

Blogs give you opportunities to share your knowledge and expertise with those looking for help. Use blogs to educate others, receive feedback and refer interested potential customers back to your website for more information. Writing a blog is also a good exercise for you to research more about what is happening in your industry and tests your ability to write about it.

Social Media is popular for individuals but businesses are also finding it to be an excellent medium for connecting with fans and customers. It is possible to create business pages on Facebook, Bebo and MySpace where you can post your message, send announcements and refer back to your site.

Offline marketing must include your web address. Put it on your Yellow Pages and newspaper ads, mention it on the radio and everywhere you advertise. People will choose to visit your site to get more information before contacting you if they know you have one.

What to do
Get in touch with a web development company that understands your business needs. Do not be immersed into a colourful, dynamic and flash website sales pitch. Your business needs a site that will get you business.

If you already have a site and want more visitors or more qualified visitors, talk to us at Attractum™.

Market Segmenting

‘Market segmentation’ is the predecessor to ‘target marketing’; a former buzz-word in business circles. It was a buzz when it was first realised and implemented by the big businesses, it is now a reality of marketing in any capacity, perhaps more importantly, small and medium businesses on much more limited marketing budgets.

If you are thinking about marketing more effectively and at lower cost you must segment your market.

Every brand, product and service must segment its market to expect to connect with its customers. Segmenting allows the business to understand the different types of customers that the brand attracts and use this information to market more effectively and efficiently.

Proper market segmenting and implementation of target marketing will see your business have more sales and invest its marketing budget wisely than if it had not segmented. This leads to higher profits. It’s a no-brainer.

Markets can be segmented into infinite types of segments. This is how “new markets” are found; by looking at the market differently.

You can divide your market into any pattern that you can find with your customer base, group them and create a way to appeal to their unique needs.

The most common market segment is found through demographics.

• Gender – Females – Ladies nights
• Age – Baby boomers – Senior discounts
• Income – High income earners – Exclusive events
• Family types – i.e. Large families – Family packages

Market segments can be identified geographically if you can identify unique differences in the needs of markets from different locations; countries, cities or neighbourhoods.

Psychographic market segments are based on the differing personalities, behaviours, attitudes, values and lifestyles of your customers.

Market segmentation does not have to be so complicated to the point where you analyse customer’s belief systems for most types of products. It can be as simple as gender. For example, take the sugar free soft drink market. Coke Zero is marketed at males and Diet Coke is marketed at females. You will see Coke Zero promoted at sports venues and during sporting broadcasts. You will notice Diet Coke promoted predominantly at shopping malls and in women’s magazines.

This is the purpose of segmentation, to target and reach specific markets. However, you do not have to create different products to reach different market segments.

Market segmentation will require you to market specifically to the segments that you choose to pursue. This means that you will change marketing messages to appeal to particular people. For example, an investment scheme can promote:

• “Secure, peace-of-mind investment for your retirement” to the 50-60 year old market.
• “Maximise your savings in our reliable high performance fund” to 30-40 year old investment market.

These age segments have different priorities in their finances, yet a single investment product may be suitable for both markets.

To segment markets you must research your total market and the possible segmented markets.

Reduce Your Marketing Costs

In tough times, the mentality for most businesses is that unnecessary spending must be cut. To the demise of many small businesses, it is the marketing budget that is cut and marketing stops.

Marketing is a necessary investment for business because it is designed to keep work coming in. The businesses that continue to market through a recession or depression are those that make it out alive.

What is a business to do?
Answer:
- Reduce marketing costs
- Target customers

Because of financial constraints in these times, spending must be cut; including marketing spending. But that does not mean your marketing should stop. Instead it means cut the marketing wastage and market to where customers are looking for you.

The availability and reliance of businesses & consumers on the Internet makes a marketing budget stretch much further. Marketing on the Internet is incredibly cheap if you know how it works. You will have complete control of your spending and can monitor the returns very accurately.

With a targeted and well researched marketing plan that implements a mixed media marketing approach; using both the Internet and traditional marketing methods, you will reduce your marketing costs and improve the quality of your leads. This means more conversions per advertising dollar and more profits.

All of this can be achieved through marketing smarter and taking a mixed media marketing approach. Perform targeted marketing online and offline.

Those businesses that rely on advertising and promotion with traditional mass media such as newspaper ads, radio & TV commercials and placements in directories will find these times extra difficult. Advertising through these methods are increasingly expensive and are less effective than they once were. They are simply not targeted enough.

It is going to take a recession for these businesses to realise that the Internet is where it is at! It is the place where marketing is cheap, targeted and effective. What’s more is it’s in your control. – It is probably these promises that sound too good to be true that scare businesses off Internet marketing.

The 70/30 rule should be applied to advertising online and offline. Invest 70% of your marketing budget online and reduce offline spending to 30% of the budget. Your advertising will be much more targeted with minimal wastage because of the online focus and restricted offline spend which will be limited to directories and the odd radio promotion.

Reduce your marketing budget. Do not stop it altogether. Market smarter. Mixed media marketing is the solution.

Online marketing maybe the one revelation that gets your business through the tough times.