So What is this Internet Marketing Thing, Anyway?
IM or Internet marketing is all the rage these days. But is it just hype or serious business?
In its most basic form, Internet marketing is marketing online. How well a person or firm does so varies on the expertise and the tools they use. Just as an advertiser offline uses a variety of sources to promote their clients so must an internet marketer. Most internet marketers are in business for themselves and promote products for a set commission. Depending on the agency you are affiliated with the commissions can range from as little as 2% to as much as 75%. Just because you are in business for yourself does not mean you have your own product to sell. At least not initially. Everyone who is truly serious about Internet marketing needs to create at least two products…one as a freebie and one to sell.
In the old days, Internet marketing consisted of putting up a webpage. Now, because everyone and their neighbor’s dog has a website, merely throwing up a page is no longer effective. There are several different strategies which make up Internet marketing. In order to be successful you must master all of them. You will no doubt find your favorite and rely on that method most often, however remember these methods work in tandem and in order to see results you will need to combine several.
The heart of your marketing efforts begins with keyword research. A poor keyword research effort will undoubtedly result in a poor marketing campaign. Since, click through’s and purchases via your link are the life blood of Internet marketing, you will want to take your time and learn keyword research. There are many different tools out there which will assist you with keyword research and they all claim to be the best and most efficient. In the beginning, the best tool you can use, is free. You can find that great piece of software by placing your hand on your forehead. That’s right. Use your noggin! If you don’t first learn how to do keyword research without all the fancy tools, they will mean nothing to you in the long run and you will miss out on golden opportunities by thinking of complimentary areas to target.
;Once you have the basics of keyword research you will need to work on your SEO. This is accomplished by creating content centered around your chosen keywords. Your content should come across as natural and a well thought out sprinkling of keywords should appear seamlessly throughout your content.
After you have a niche, completed your keyword research and wrote content you need to let someone know your doors are open; just as with a brick and mortar business. This is done by link building. There are several different ways to bolster backlinks, the most popular are article marketing and social bookmarking.
If you have set up your site appropriately prior to launch then slowly you will start to see page visitors and those visitors will hopefully take whatever action it is you are requesting of them.
There are many intricacies for internet marketing but the main blueprint never changes. You must have these foundations in order to be successful.
In its most basic form, Internet marketing is marketing online. How well a person or firm does so varies on the expertise and the tools they use. Just as an advertiser offline uses a variety of sources to promote their clients so must an internet marketer. Most internet marketers are in business for themselves and promote products for a set commission. Depending on the agency you are affiliated with the commissions can range from as little as 2% to as much as 75%. Just because you are in business for yourself does not mean you have your own product to sell. At least not initially. Everyone who is truly serious about Internet marketing needs to create at least two products…one as a freebie and one to sell.
In the old days, Internet marketing consisted of putting up a webpage. Now, because everyone and their neighbor’s dog has a website, merely throwing up a page is no longer effective. There are several different strategies which make up Internet marketing. In order to be successful you must master all of them. You will no doubt find your favorite and rely on that method most often, however remember these methods work in tandem and in order to see results you will need to combine several.
The heart of your marketing efforts begins with keyword research. A poor keyword research effort will undoubtedly result in a poor marketing campaign. Since, click through’s and purchases via your link are the life blood of Internet marketing, you will want to take your time and learn keyword research. There are many different tools out there which will assist you with keyword research and they all claim to be the best and most efficient. In the beginning, the best tool you can use, is free. You can find that great piece of software by placing your hand on your forehead. That’s right. Use your noggin! If you don’t first learn how to do keyword research without all the fancy tools, they will mean nothing to you in the long run and you will miss out on golden opportunities by thinking of complimentary areas to target.
;Once you have the basics of keyword research you will need to work on your SEO. This is accomplished by creating content centered around your chosen keywords. Your content should come across as natural and a well thought out sprinkling of keywords should appear seamlessly throughout your content.
After you have a niche, completed your keyword research and wrote content you need to let someone know your doors are open; just as with a brick and mortar business. This is done by link building. There are several different ways to bolster backlinks, the most popular are article marketing and social bookmarking.
If you have set up your site appropriately prior to launch then slowly you will start to see page visitors and those visitors will hopefully take whatever action it is you are requesting of them.
There are many intricacies for internet marketing but the main blueprint never changes. You must have these foundations in order to be successful.
Cloud Storage
What is cloud storage? Cloud storage allows the user to save documents and photos on a web based server with the ability to access them anytime they are connected to the internet. In theory it sounds like a great idea. It is possible with this method to go completely paperless in your filing system.
Google docs, is probably the most recognized cloud storage program and Microsoft now has a Skydrive program. I have used each and prefer the Microsoft version because it works with my desktop applications (but hey, I'm a PC). It does make for great ease and accessibility of ones documents. I even used my Skydrive to coordinate an online project for school. However, as protecting your identity becomes an ever increasing concern, you need to remember that while these tools are useful there could be the risk for some danger as well. Your data is probably as safe as it is anywhere else, but remember once you upload your documents your are in essence sharing your privacy with the company hosting the server. Do you really want to store your tax return information on some unknown piece of virtual real estate?
For sensitive and personal information it is always best to do your own backup. Backing up your information could be as simple as putting it on a portable external harddrive or a thumb drive. If you are unsure about the best way to protect your sensitive data, contact your computer professional. He or she will be able to guide you in picking out an option to fit your lifestyle and budget.
Google docs, is probably the most recognized cloud storage program and Microsoft now has a Skydrive program. I have used each and prefer the Microsoft version because it works with my desktop applications (but hey, I'm a PC). It does make for great ease and accessibility of ones documents. I even used my Skydrive to coordinate an online project for school. However, as protecting your identity becomes an ever increasing concern, you need to remember that while these tools are useful there could be the risk for some danger as well. Your data is probably as safe as it is anywhere else, but remember once you upload your documents your are in essence sharing your privacy with the company hosting the server. Do you really want to store your tax return information on some unknown piece of virtual real estate?
For sensitive and personal information it is always best to do your own backup. Backing up your information could be as simple as putting it on a portable external harddrive or a thumb drive. If you are unsure about the best way to protect your sensitive data, contact your computer professional. He or she will be able to guide you in picking out an option to fit your lifestyle and budget.
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