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This week I wrote an article for my newsletter on driving more traffic to your web site. Take a look at the article, Online Marketing Techniques To Drive More Traffic for some ideas on getting traffic to your web site.

Biana Babinsky
Learn How to Get More Traffic to Your Web Site
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I recently read an article regarding book sales targeted to their authors which stated: "Book sales are best when the author personally promotes their product."

Having done a website for an author of children's books, I can say this is true.
While her site is well optimized for SEO and the call to action is strong, sales are poor unless she is personally promoting it.

Promotion means you have to participate in forums and discussions revolving around your topic.

Reg
DotCom-Productions NEW Blog "In the life of a webmaster".  My Commercial Web Design and Webmaster's Resource
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Hi all. It's been awhile since I've checked in.

Here's the problem with the initial question about what's the best way to advertise.

The initial poster didn't explain who she is targeting and what her business and marketing plan consists of. By asking such a vague question like this, you end up getting all sorts of answers that aren't *relevant* to the needs of the owner. In doing so, she is forced to try and figure out which answers and their methods are best for her. It almost becomes futile because if she doesn't have a marketing plan to begin with, then it becomes the blind leading the blind. Make sense?

What we should have initially done is ask Audrey who she is targeting and what her current marketing mix consists of. Before we can offer a solution, we have to do an initial situational analysis. It's the basics of solution selling-- only offer a solution once you know the entire situation.

Questions that Audrey needs to ask are;

Who is my target market?
What is my current marketing mix consists of?
Of that mix, what's working. What's not working?
What does my SWOT analysis look like?

Hopefully, you get the point.

While I think there were some great answers given, I think the real lesson learned here is that most small business owners haven't a clue as to the basics of a marketing strategy. That's not meant to be condescending in any way, but it really is a reality that most of us need to understand.

As a web designer who works with independent service professionals and SBOs on varying levels, I can tell that most SBOs would rather get their tooth pulled out than focus on creating a sustainable marketing plan. In fact, all the periodicals that I've read on small business says the same thing- sales & marketing is last on the to-do lists of most SBOs. I believe Denise may be able to confirm that observation.

According to the SBA, more than 90% of service related businesses [of which most of us are], fail within 5 years. There are many reasons for this, but the primary reason isn't because we don't offer a great service or product. The primary reason is because the owners haven't mapped out a solid marketing and sales strategy and a system to go with it. I emphasize system because as business owners, we need to systemize our business as much as possible. Without having a system in place, we find ourselves spread too thin and going in all different directions. Does this sound familiar to anyone? :)

I strongly suggest talking to professionals who can help map out a proper strategy and plan for you. Denise comes to mind. There is also a colleague of mine on Ryze, Dave Orsborn, who specializes in writing up business plans for people. He runs The Networker's Network and his work has been referenced in the works of Seth Godin.

There are tons of other resources out there on this stuff. Feel free to drop me an email if you need further info on this stuff. Not selling anything as this is not my area of expertise.

Laters.

H. Dean Hua  | Principal & Chief Web Evangelist SachiStudio |  http://www.sachistudio.com

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Cindy Hargreaves

Abraka - Escape into a fantasy world and follow Tashaka’s journey.

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Keeping a Blog is an increasingly popular way to bring in click thrus to your site.

As well as using the links on the Blog itself, they also do a great deal to speed things up on the search engines, getting your site re/listed much quicker than the usual months of waiting.

You can grab a copy of the 110 page 'Blog & Ping Tutorial' easily by subscribing to my own Blog (see signature). This excellent e-book that I sell elsewhere for $30, will walk you step by step through blog set-up and how to bring the SE spiders to your Blog AND your main site, within hours, if not minutes.

Enjoy.
Metta.
AndyE.
BritishWebMarketing
Subscribe to Blog for free copy of -
Blog & Ping Tutorial e-book.

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Hi Cindy,

I usualy keep this for my list members but here is access to

TheTrafficJamFormula.  This online ebook was a blessing

for me.

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However, I am targeting Men and Women who love to read fantasy books in created worlds. Between the ages of 18 to 45, who have internet access.

Aha, now, that we know the target, its time to ask questions....

Are these people going to search for fantasy books, read banner ads, read text ads?
The younger demographic may not, but the older ones might. As a result, using such methods may miss half your audience. For insight, pick a couple hundred myspace, facebook, or friendster users under 25, and ask them what the last banner ad was.... no one will be able to tell you! Heck, even ask an experienced ryzer what the last text ads at the top were... Such advertising is based upon a very tiny conversion ratio, and a huge mass of exposure. Its not very targeted.

Will these people hang out in like minded communities?
Probably so, within narrower demographics, and this may be a good target... only if handled appropriately. An author friend picked up a substantial readership, off of a Bruce Willis fan site. Needless to say, he did not spam or self promote on the site.

Beyong reading, what are their interests?
RPG and MMORPG come to mind, as a subset

What are their blog interests?
eg, their is no point using trackbacks, and blogging on subject areas where they are unlikely to subscribe or read in passing. The exception being that you want to rely on search engines, rather than wom. Considering that google has 19,500,000 results on fantasy books, and close to that on sci fi books and related terms, its going to be difficult, although not impossible to use search engines alone to bring you readers. Ref http://labs.google.com/suggest

Can I find any joint venture possibilities?
I'd say the sky is the limit in this regard. Take a look at some SEO tools, not necessarily for the purpose of linking, or worse counterproductive link farms, but for like minded communities, where a jv may be possible, or for other insite. Related Link Suggestion Tool is a decent one.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas

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