Top Ten SEO Tips

1. Optimize content for searches by working your keywords into headlines and high into your copy.
2. Separate the content from styles with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for search-friendly, clean web design.
3. Having a few links to relevant, high-quality sites are worth far more than hundreds of worthless sites. Google's algorithm knows the difference.
4. Useful, updated content will not only keep your visitors coming back for more, but if you have informative articles, other site owners will link to your site.
5. Submit a sitemap using Google's Webmaster Tools to help get your pages indexed in search results.
6. Google Analytics will track number of visits to your site, referring sites, keywords used in search, and even a map overlay of links clicked on by your users.
7. When writing content, link to relevant pages within your site.
8. Find quality sites that compliment/contribute to your product or service and ask the owners if they will link to your site and you link to theirs.
9. Join social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to share updates and information on your site.
10. Blogs, RSS Feeds, and submitting articles to directories like GoArticles.com will bring attention to your site and help your rankings in search engines.

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What are they saying about you?

Recent social media enthusiasts are creating content on the web at record speeds, and it's big business. They are sharing content about real-time events to followers as "tweets" on Twitter, offering their opinions in forums, and adding customer generated content on business web sites.

What is being said about your brand?Although you may not have much control over what others are documenting on the Internet, you can use this to your advantage.

Here's how.

1. Set up an alert on Google, Yahoo, and Twitter, among others, with your brand or business name. Anytime there is new content, you'll get notified.

2. Assessment and evaluation. Research time ...learn what different types of social media options are best for your type of business. Some are best for specific industries such as writers, musicians, or marketing.

3. Set up a Social Media Strategy and Action Plan.

a. Create a blog about your industry. Continually add helpful information for your readers. This is also a great opportunity for special offers, list building, and to get your customers involved and coming back for more.

b. Create an account on the most popular social media platforms. You'll want to create and save a file of your profile information to complete your profile quicker. A completed profile builds trust, even better, include a picture! The Big Three? Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In. Additional popular communities include Friendfeed, Onxiam, Tabber, Digg, among others.

c. Get involved, join networks, offer others your advice, and become an expert in your industry. But, if your just trying to sell something and not offer anything, it can do more harm than good.

You may be thinking...Oh Great! More to do! I don't have time to be chatting in rooms! Don't fret, there's help out there.

As more businesses are seeking these types of services, providers are stepping up and learning how to provide assistance in the setup and management of social marketing for their clients. Outsourcing will save you time, money, and getting things done.

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Are You Asking for Testimonials?

There's a lot of weight in a customer testimonial, but are you missing out on the some of the benefits?

By contacting your customers and asking for a testimonial, you are creating a perfect opportunity for getting additional information about their experience with your company's product or service. You can learn a lot about your customers needs, ways to improve your offerings, and fine-tune areas of your customer service.

Once you get their testimonial, be sure to ask them if it's okay to publish their contact information with their comments on your website or in marketing materials. Readers want to see testimonials and comments that include the customers full name and preferrably contact information, instead of "Bob in New York" or "A Satisfied Customer." It's just not as convincing without it.

Never post anything other than authentic comments, nothing will hurt your reputation more than dishonesty. Trust is a key element of success, especially for an online business.

Create a collection of testimonials from customers with varying circumstances. If a testimonial is from someone in a similiar industry or situation as theirs. it will help your customer relate. Once you know who your prospect is, you can share the appropriate testimonial for greater impact.

Just by asking, you'll create multiple opportunities. Not only are you able to get compelling content for use in marketing material, learn new ways to improve your business, stay-in-touch with a customer even after the sale, but you'll also be helping to seal the deal on your next project or big sale.

The Suprising Talents of Virtual Assistants

Virtual Assistants (VAs) have talents that just may suprise you. With more entrepreneurs running their businesses from a home office, the need for Virtual Assistants is growing faster than ever before.

Here are a few major factors that separate VAs from other home office workers.

Skills-Virtual Assistants have a wide variety of professional skills, they know how to get things done efficiently using the newest technologies available. From planning your next business trip, managing your email, setting up webinar, or possibily having skills to create and market your business online, your VA can complete a variety of tasks on your "to do" list. By using their own equipment, they have their favorite programs and processes at their fingertips without the need for you to provide training, keep updated software, or even share your office space.

Partnership-An important asset VAs continually strive for, is building ongoing, long-term relationships with their clients. The benefits of having a business partner type relationship with your VA are many. As they learn about your business and understand your business goals, they increase their ability to anticipate your needs. They are ther to act as a sounding board for your new ideas, support you during challenging times, provide motivation, and to celebrate your successes with you.

Benefits-Virtual Assistants can now offer benefits and cost-cutting opportunities not previously available to entrepreneurs. Because VAs are business owners themselves, they are responsible for their own benefits packages like insurance, training, vacation/sick days, and retirement. All time is 100% productive, no down-time! This also means no payroll, no employee-related tax issues to worry about, and no manager/employee problems to deal with.

We all have the same amount of hours each day, but a Virtual Assistant can free up some of those hours so you can do more of those things you love, the things that you do best, and you'll have more time to enjoy your passions.

Top 20 Best Website Tips

1. Know the top three things your visitor will be seeking while visiting your site.
2. Make it obvious what action you want your visitor is to take.
3. Give away something of value to your visitor (yes, for free) in return for submitting their email address.
4. Have someone read your content and take out all jargon.
5. Include a toll-free number and email contact on every page.
6. Include a separate title for each page, not just the home page.
7. Write a powerful, relevant description for your page, under 180 characters, using that page's keywords.
8. Every page should have a clear message, what you can do for them, and what they should do next.
   
9. Have a clean, constitant look for every page.
10. Use a graphically correct, professional logo, and yes, a favicon.
11. Include a description of your services or products, including a price list.
12. Include testimonials in your site.
13. Include a sitemap.
14. Offer links to additional resources that your visitors may actually be interested in.
15. Content should be short and to the point, use bullets when appropriate.
16. Include a FAQ section.
17. Include an ongoing, updated blog.
18. Offer a newsletter, update it regularly with relevant, useful information.
19. Make it easy for visitors to bookmark, tag, or subscribe to your RSS feed.
20. Send email to your contact list inviting them to read more about a new service, a new product, free information, or contest for return visitors to your site.

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Top Fears of Entrepreneurs: How to Overcome Yours Today

Owning your own business; it's exciting to break out on your own, but it can also be scary. But, how stable is having an employer? Is it a sure thing?

Common Fears of Entrepreneur: Strategies for Success

Number One: Fear of Failure.

Failure only comes when you stop trying. Ask yourself, what's the worst thing that can happen? Even if ____ happens, how can you minimize or prepare for a bad result?

PLANNING!

Where do you see yourself in a year? In five years?

Create your plans in the right order:
1st, Your Life Plan!
(For more information visit StartupNation's Life Planning Tutorials.)
Then, a business, marketing, financial, and finally, a disaster recovery plan.

With your plans in place, YOU are in control of your life, and your future. (Note: These are working documents and need revised on a regular basis.)

Number Two: What will I have to give up?

This depends on your priorities. At what level are you willing to play?

If you have a life plan, this will be easy. If you don't, you'll have to make tough decisions over and over.

How serious are you to making your plan work? What will you do when something gets in your way?

Whether it's daily distractions, family or friends that try to discourage you, or giving up things today, for success tomorrow, you will have decisions to make along the way, and may even burn bridges, so decide what's most important to you.

Number Three: Missing out by not implementing all your ideas.

If you're a true entrepreneur, you have many ideas for a business, or things you want to accomplish. But, spreading yourself too thin, trying to do to much, you may end up not being able to do any of them very well.

Here's how to prioritize your ideas.

Determine the following, rate on scale of 1-5 (5 being most,or highest):
a.)How much time it will take to implement the idea?
b.)To what degree is your idea related to your passion?
c.)Will you have a sense of fulfillment or accomplishment from your idea?
d.)will the financial return be worth the effort necessary?
e.)Is your idea time-sensitive?

Rate each area, total each idea's score to get a better look at the value of each idea.

Then stay focused on THAT idea through to completion.

Number Four: Stepping out of your comfort zone.

If something isn't working, or when you're afraid of taking the next step, focus on the benefits. Think of how you'll feel when it's done and remember, it's usually easier than you think.

So get in your car, pick up the phone, write that email, contact that new lead, make that apology, do whatever you have to do to complete that next step, or fix whatever isn't working,.

Now?

Yes, NOW!

You'll be so glad you did!

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"Your List" is a golden opportunity.

If you're not building a contact list from your website visitors, and using it correctly, you're leaving money on the table.

Here's how to generate business and increase profitability by using your list.

Offer something free on the front page (better yet, every page) of your website. By providing their name and email address, they get something of value. It can be an informative article, a free gift, your company newsletter, or a discount on your product or services.

Although I've signed up for a ton of newsletters, I continue to get only 4-5. These (about 5% overall) give solid, valuable tips, and information on topics of interest to me.

If your customer opens an email/newsletter and it's an advertisement, or continually has content with little or no value, they will opt-out and be lost.
(Be sure to conform to anti-spam laws by using an opt-in/opt-out system.)

How do you keep them wanting more?

Give them more! Information is valuable.

A good example is a newsletter I enjoy from Joe Garcia at givetogetmarketing.com. Sure, they have a few ads now and then, but it's well worth it to scan over a few ads to get to the information I want. I haven't been disappointed and will continue to open every email he sends.

If you apply these same "Give to Get Marketing" techniques to the customers on your list, you'll see results.

- Stay in contact with your customers,
- Establish a relationship with potential customers,
- Be easily reached, and
- Respond quickly when contacted.

When they are ready to buy, they'll think of you.

So, stop leaving money on the table! Generate "Your Golden List" of contacts, send valuable information, build trust, and you'll have loyal, long term customers that keep coming back for more.