In This InfoKwik Issue
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March 20, 2006
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This Week's Articles
1. How you can get effective marketing results on the web
2. How can you boost your web site's credibility?
3. Reward $50
How you can get effective marketing results on the web.
There are two areas of search engine marketing that produce effective results when used in harmony.
The first is known as organic search engine optimization and includes a proper mix of the following:
HTML title tag
Heading tags <H1> to <H6>
Hypertext links or anchor text
Visible <body> copy
Meta tags
Alternative text
URLs
The second part is "pay per click" advertising.
Pay per click, or PPC, is an advertising technique used on websites, advertising networks, and search engines. Google Adwords and Yahoo! Search Marketing, which was formerly Overture, are the largest network operators as of 2006. Depending on the search engine, minimum prices per click start at US$0.01 (up to US$0.50). Certain terms can run much more depending on bid popularity.
This week we will discuss Google AdWords Basics.
Google has recently introduced AdWords Starter Edition.
Small business owners should view Starter Edition as what it is...a starting point. Advertisers can upgrade their accounts to the standard system at any time, thus turning on more advanced targeting and management options. Ultimately, that should be the entire point. Advertisers that are wary of setting up a new campaign should use the Starter Edition interface to get going and then once they are comfortable, should take the plunge into the full version so that they can expand and fine tune their campaigns.
What is AdWords Starter Edition?
Starter Edition is a simplified version of AdWords for new users.
New users have sometimes asked us for a fast way to create and run an ad with just the most basic campaign choices. Starter Edition is the answer.
Starter Edition lets users create an AdWords account with a single ad, using a one-page signup form. Users write their ad, target locations and keywords, and choose a currency and monthly budget. Once their account is activated, the ad starts running. The user's account page is also simplified, showing key information for each keyword and allowing simple changes to the ad and the account. The Google Budget Optimizer automatically determines when to show your ad to earn the most clicks possible within your monthly budget.
Starter Edition is an excellent way to get your ad up and running when you want to deliver a single message to a specific audience. It does come with limitations: only text ads and keyword targeting are allowed, and only one ad is possible. Advanced features like conversion tracking, multiple campaigns and Ad Groups, are only available with the full-featured AdWords Standard Edition. The good news is, you can graduate from the Starter Edition to Standard Edition any time you like. Both versions of AdWords cost nothing extra -- after a nominal setup fee, you pay only for the ads you run. Read More...
What should a newcomer know about Standard Edition?
When you graduate from the Starter Edition to the Standard Edition of AdWords, many things stay the same. You keep the same Google Account login email and password. Your Starter Edition ad is moved to your Standard Edition account, with all the same settings, keywords and budget. Your ad continues running as before unless you decide to change or update it.
But you'll find you have many more options with Standard Edition. Read more...
What are the steps to creating an AdWords Starter Edition account?
Use the simple one-page Starter Edition wizard to create your new account. Here's how to do it:
Starter Edition Complete Details
How do the Starter Edition and Standard Edition compare?
The Starter Edition offers extreme simplicity for new users; the Standard Edition offers an easy interface with many more features at no extra charge. Read more...
AdWords Sign-up Demo
The demo will walk you through the process and give you some insight as what to expect from AdWords. Click here for audio demo...
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How can you boost your web site's credibility?
Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility
We have compiled 10 guidelines for building the credibility of a web site. These guidelines are based on three years of research that included over 4,500 people.
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Additional Comments |
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Make it easy to verify the accuracy of the information on your site.
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You can build web site credibility by providing third-party support (citations, references, source material) for information you present, especially if you link to this evidence. Even if people don't follow these links, you've shown confidence in your material.
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Show that there's a real organization behind your site.
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Showing that your web site is for a legitimate organization will boost the site's credibility. The easiest way to do this is by listing a physical address. Other features can also help, such as posting a photo of your offices or listing a membership with the chamber of commerce.
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Highlight the expertise in your organization and in the content and services you provide.
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Do you have experts on your team? Are your contributors or service providers authorities? Be sure to give their credentials. Are you affiliated with a respected organization? Make that clear. Conversely, don't link to outside sites that are not credible. Your site becomes less credible by association.
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Show that honest and trustworthy people stand behind your site.
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The first part of this guideline is to show there are real people behind the site and in the organization. Next, find a way to convey their trustworthiness through images or text. For example, some sites post employee bios that tell about family or hobbies.
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Make it easy to contact you.
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A simple way to boost your site's credibility is by making your contact information clear: phone number, physical address, and email address.
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Design your site so it looks professional (or is appropriate for your purpose).
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We find that people quickly evaluate a site by visual design alone. When designing your site, pay attention to layout, typography, images, consistency issues, and more. Of course, not all sites gain credibility by looking like IBM.com. The visual design should match the site's purpose.
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Make your site easy to use -- and useful.
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We're squeezing two guidelines into one here. Our research shows that sites win credibility points by being both easy to use and useful. Some site operators forget about users when they cater to their own company's ego or try to show the dazzling things they can do with web technology.
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Update your site's content often (at least show it's been reviewed recently).
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People assign more credibility to sites that show they have been recently updated or reviewed.
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Use restraint with any promotional content (e.g., ads, offers).
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If possible, avoid having ads on your site. If you must have ads, clearly distinguish the sponsored content from your own. Avoid pop-up ads, unless you don't mind annoying users and losing credibility. As for writing style, try to be clear, direct, and sincere.
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Avoid errors of all types, no matter how small they seem.
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Typographical errors and broken links hurt a site's credibility more than most people imagine. It's also important to keep your site up and running.
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| Research on Web Credibility: |
Click here to visit the Stanford Web Credibility Research Site by the Stanford Persuasive Tech Lab.
Copyright © Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab, 2004 |
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Referral Reward $50
If you refer a customer to InfoKwik, you'll receive $50 as a referral reward. Email me or call if you have a referral.
Pat Morgan Email - 816-415-0776.
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• New InfoKwik Newsletter Archive
now online for your convenience.
I've also added a search engine, so you can find subjects of interest more easily.
• New online Keyword and Pay-per-click word research finder for your use:
The Free Overture (Yahoo!) and Google Keyword Suggestion Tool can be found here. I've left the suggested Google AdWord books from last week below for your convenience.
InfoKwik Newsletter Reader Survey
I have developed a new web site related to podcasting and video production.. take a look here. Be sure to check out the examples page.
Free Web Directories, where you can submit your web sites. This will help your search engine ranking.
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If you would like more details on audio and video production for your web site and business, please give Pat Morgan a call at 816-415-0776.
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