Online Equalizer - Internet Marketing Book

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Appendix - Internet Marketing Tools & Resources

Internet Marketing Tools

In this book, we talked about the different aspects of Internet marketing for the small business owner. Along the way I mentioned plenty of resources and tools to help you get more from your web marketing efforts. For the sake of convenience, I have compiled (and even exapnded on) the Internet marketing resources and tools presented throughout this book.

Tools for: SEO | Websites | Blogs | Articles | Online PR | Conversions


Tools

Search Engine Optimization Resources

We covered a lot of information in the search engine optimization (SEO) chapter of this book. Along the way, I mentioned a lot of tools and resources as well. The SEO resources covered previously, plus a few more, have been compiled for you below. If you're not sure why I have listed a particular website, tool or resource, go back and review the SEO chapter of this book.

Keyword Research Tools

If you recall from the SEO chapter, key-phrase research is an important first step to developing website content, blogging, pursuing search engine rankings, etc. By conducting key phrase research, you will be able to find out which phrases relevant to your business are searched most often online — and therefore have the potential to bring the most traffic to your site. Here are some keyword research tools I recommend.

Pssst ... here's the free version of WordTracker.

Sitemap Generators

We didn't cover this in the book, but you can create an XML sitemap and upload it to the root folder of your website (where your home page resides). This will help search engines find all of your web pages — especially important if you have a large website with hundreds of pages. An XML sitemap can improve search engine visibility, which in turn can help you increase your website traffic. Thus, a sitemap is an Internet marketing tool worth using.

Web Directories

If you recall, web directories are a good way to increase the number of links coming from other websites (in this case directories) to your own website. This can help you increase your direct traffic to a certain level — but more importantly it will help you boost your own search engine rankings over time.

Here is a list of directories I recommend, based on the cost per submission, the value of the link, the strength and ranking of the directory itself, and other factors. Note: Some of these directories lost some of their ranking during a Google "shakeup" in 2007, but I have no doubt they will return to their original strength and value eventually. So they are still Internet marketing resources worth your consideration.

Octopedia.com
ElegantDirectory.com
STPT.com
BOTW.org
Site-Sift.com
JoeAnt.com
Clush.com
Skaffe.com
GoGuides
Rubber Stamped
WebWorldIndex.com
Qango.com
Cbravo.com
Webotopia.org 		     Xwebdirectory.com
Romow.com
Index-it.net
TheDirectoryZone.com
MassiveLinks.com
Indexzilla.com
Trincas.org
InCrawler.com
SplashDirectory.com
LinksJuice.com
e-topic.com
Easy Find Directory
CasCandra.com
2YI.net

Tools

Business Website Resources

In the website chapter of the book, I mentioned some Internet marketing tools that can help you create a new website or enhance an existing site. Your website is the centerpiece of your Internet presence, which makes these some useful tools for Internet marketing success.

Website Templates

Custom-built websites are nice, but you will pay a premium for one. Website templates can save you both time and money. Website templates have come a long way in terms of quality and variety. These days, you can download a high-quality website template and pay somebody to customize it with your logo, colors, etc. The end result is a unique website created in half the time as a site built from the ground up.

4Templates.com - This is by far my favorite website template provider. I like their templates because they come in two versions, one of which is a table-less XHTML/CSS style. This probably won't mean much to you, but any web designer will tell you that it's the modern way to design websites for easier maintenance and greater flexibility.

You might also want to check out TemplateMonster.com, though I'm not as big a fan of their products.

Tool for Website Interactivity

In the last section of this book, we talked about ways to increase your onsite conversions. Increasing the interactivity of your website is a great way to do that. Here are links to some of the Internet marketing resources and tools we talked about for adding interactivity to your business website.

FAQ / Knowledge Base Programs:

Forum Software Programs:

Online Chat Programs:


Tools

Business Blog Resources

A blog is a very useful tool for Internet marketing success, and we talked a lot about the small business blog throughout this book. Here are some tools and resources to help you get the most out of your blogging efforts.

How to install WordPress:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress

How to install Blogger:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,119586-c,webservices/article.html
http://help.blogger.com/bin/topic.py?topic=8917

Websites & Tutorials on Business Blogging

Tools for Your Subscribers

Creating RSS Buttons - Here's an easy way to create six of the most commonly used RSS subscription buttons in one easy step. Instructions provided on-site.
www.kbcafe.com/rss/chicklet.aspx

The FeedBurner Option - If you don't want all those little buttons on your blog, you can use FeedBurner. This will simplify things into a single button, but subscribers will still be able to choose their RSS reader. With FeedBurner, you also have the benefit of knowing how many subscribers you have.
www.feedburner.com

RSS to Email - Some consumers don't yet understand the whole RSS thing. For these people, you can offer an RSS-to-email subscription option. There are several RSS-to-email services you can use. For a good overview, visit the link below:
www.masternewmedia.org/news/2006/05/23/rss_to_email_how_to.htm

Google Alerts - Google Alerts can produce a constant stream of blogging ideas sent to your email. They are a great tool for coming up with blogging material.
www.google.com/alerts

Blog Directories Where You Can List Your Site


Tools

Article Publishing Resources

If you recall, we spent quite a bit of time on articles as an Internet marketing tool / technique. I also provided you with some websites to help you get the most from your article marketing program. Here they all are again.

Tips and Tutorials

"Search Engine Success Through Article Marketing"
www.flyte.biz/resources/newsletters/06/01-article-marketing.html

"The Low-Down on Article Marketing"
www.buzzle.com/editorials/8-6-2006-104669.asp

Article Distribution Sites

Finding Additional Publication Opportunities

The article websites listed above are a good place to distribute your articles. But the best way to place articles is by hand-picking popular websites within your niche that accept articles. If you place articles on such websites, and include a link to your own website, you will do wonders for your traffic levels and search engine rankings. A popular website within your industry niche can deliver both of these things — direct traffic and a search engine boost.

Here's how to find such websites:

Using a search engine like Google or Yahoo, enter the following search query:
[your topic or industry] + submit article

For instance, if I wanted to find websites that accepted / published articles related to software, I could do a search for any of the following search phrases:

It takes a little digging, but you can find some excellent publishing opportunities this way — the kind that provide direct traffic as well as search engine benefits.


Tools

Online Press Release Resources

Thought it was a short chapter in this book, online press release distribution can be a useful addition to your Internet marketing program. Here are some tools and resources related to online PR.

Services offered by PRWeb.com
www.prweb.com/service_features.php

Writing SEO press releases
www.pandia.com/features/pressrelease.html

Where to submit your press release:

* When you submit your press release to PRWeb.com, it also ends up on eMediaWire.com.


Tools

Onsite Conversion Resources - Sales / Lead Generation

In my opinion, generating leads and/or sales online is one of the most challenging aspects of Internet marketing as whole. Creating a website is easy. Writing content is easy. Blogging is easy. Search engine optimization takes time but is fairly straightforward.

But all of these things serve the purpose of getting people to your website, and offering them content once they arrive. The question is ... how do you get them to respond? How do you generate leads, inquires, subscribers and sales?

I've given you some good lead-generation ideas in this book. Here are some more tips:

"7 Tips for Website Lead Generation"
www.grokdotcom.com/leadgenerationtips.htm

"Online Forms That Generate Leads"
www.clickz.com/3346151

"Changing Times for Online Lead Generation"
www.clickz.com/3625827

"Lead Generation Online: Is Your Site a Leaky Bucket?"
www.flyte.biz/resources/newsletters/06/04-lead-generation.php

"7 Strategies to Boost Your Online Sales"
Go to http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/ and do a search for the title.

"Increase Your Online Sales"
www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/ebusinesscolumnist/article169512.html

"With Lead Generation, Value Equals Response"
www.smartmortgagemarketing.com/loan-officer-mortgage-leads/


Tools

Conclusion & Moving Along

I hope the Internet marketing tools listed above make your work a little easier. Remember, there are no Internet marketing resources that can take the place of your imagination and motivation, but the items listed above will help you get the most out of your vision.

Now I'd like to finish up this book by giving you some Internet marketing cheat sheets — 15 handy checklists to reinforce key lessons from the book.

Bonus >> Internet Marketing Checklists

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