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| An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | Views: 2580 |
| Nov 27, 2006 12:05 am | | An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
Catherine "Kathy" Matthew | | Hi,
I am a new business owner of an online global website. My question is: Since my business is global and I have identified some countries as service providers and some as service buyers, how do I go about attracting business? Apart from PPC, what are the additional ways in which I can promote my site so I get the word out to people?
Any advise will be welcome!
-CatherinePrivate Reply to Catherine "Kathy" Matthew |
| Nov 30, 2006 5:42 am | | re: An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
Denise O'Berry | | Catherine --
The very first thing you must do is narrow your market and I highly suggest you pick a specific niche. That way you can find out as much as possible about the habits of that market and provide the solutions that will make them want to buy from you.
If you are simply looking for ways to market, hop on over and read my article Eight No Cost Ways to Market Your Business for some ideas.
Best regards,
Denise O'Berry
P.S. Got the cash flow blues? Here's your solution - "Small Business Cash Flow:
Strategies for Making Your Business A Financial Success" (Wiley, Oct 2006)
Find out more at http://www.cashflowtruth.comPrivate Reply to Denise O'Berry |
| Nov 30, 2006 10:22 pm | | re: An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
Kurt Schweitzer | | The Web does a TERRIBLE job of targeting geographic areas. You do much better defining psychographic profiles of your target markets, and use those to attract your customers.
What are psychographic profiles? They are characterizations of people in terms of their desires and personalities as well as where they live and how much resources (money) they have.
Good luck with your website!
Kurt SchweitzerPrivate Reply to Kurt Schweitzer |
| Dec 06, 2006 3:54 am | | re: An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
Anita Campbell | | Hi Catherine,
I see from your profile page that you are running an online matching service for professionals. And that you have set up a blog.
I would recommend focusing on the blog. It will enhance the site from an SEO standpoint, and you can use it to create traffic and buzz about your service.
Blogging has become an art and a science that people have written entire books about, so it is impossible to cover everything here. But here are five steps to get you off to a good start:
(1) Try to write 2 to 3 times a week on the blog. Fresh content works wonders for attracting visitors.
(2) Give readers general tips and pointers about how to be successful as freelancers or how to successfully use freelances, etc. Don't use the blog to sell -- use it to inform. Why? People want to read information, not sales pitches.
(3) Add some personality to your blog. For instance, put your picture and bio on it. Adopt a conversational "voice." That will make your blog memorable and keep people coming back.
(4) Use a keyword in each post, including in the post title. This does wonders for the search engines.
(5) Link, link, link to other blogs, especially to individual posts on other blogs. Also create a blogroll. Once you start linking to other sites, it will encourage others to link back to your blog, and since your blog is integrated with your site, likewise it should help site visibility and traffic too.
Good luck,
Anita
Anita Campbell
Small Business Trends
http://www.smallbiztrends.comPrivate Reply to Anita Campbell |
| Dec 06, 2006 2:23 pm | | re: An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
Amit Desai | | Hi
you gotta focus on creating a blog around the concept of your business.
this works wonders as like minded people get connected to the blog and will in turn pour hits to your site and the best part is the audience that comes to your site through your blog will be the kindda audience you want to attract.
i guess go for it before its too late as blogs take their own time to become popularize.
but the key is that blog audience are very loyal
all the best
Amit Desai
Co-Founder
www.synergytree.com
IM - desai.amit@yahoo.comPrivate Reply to Amit Desai |
| Dec 11, 2006 4:51 am | | re: re: An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
D&A | | Website should be interactive with Blogs, Forums etc for users to communicate and be a part of the business.
We have global business including USA, Canada & India and use the interactive features including Blogs, Forums, Surveys etc. to a good degree of success.
Dadi
http://DadiAssociates.com
http://IndiaOnlineToday.com - Stay Connected !
http://AmericaOnlineToday.com - Stay Tuned ! Private Reply to D&A |
| Dec 15, 2006 4:06 am | | re: An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
Denise Michaels | | And "global" means what?
Isn't every website on the internet a global one?
You've gotten a lot of good suggestions here. I just want to add one additional thought - if you are truly doing business with people from different countries keep in mind the currency exchange rates. After all you might do something that creates interest from people in countries like India or Thailand - but when the exchange rate for currency is 40 rupees and 38 baht respectively to one USA dollar - it's not very worthwhile getting interested parties looking at doing business with people from the USA.
On the flip side there are a lot of people from the USA who are very interested in doing business with people who come from these countries where the currency exchange rate is very favorable.
Keep in mind the needs of your prospective clients from a geographical, emotional and business needs point of view. Having that focus on what your ideal customer needs and wants will transcend boundaries.
All the best,
Denise Michaels
Author, "Testosterone-free Marketing"Private Reply to Denise Michaels |
| Dec 15, 2006 4:44 am | | re: re: An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
Scott Allen | | Well I'm glad someone finally said that Denise (re: "global"). Along the same lines, isn't "online website" redundant? Is there such a thing as an "offline website"? I suppose technically so, but for all intents and purposes, a website is presumed to be online.
Not picking on you, Catherine -- but this whole thing is really about helping you communicate more effectively about this, so it's in that spirit that I offer this -- no need to say "global online website" -- just "website" will suffice.
- Scott -Private Reply to Scott Allen |
| Dec 16, 2006 2:08 pm | | re: re: re: An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
Kurt Schweitzer | | "no need to say 'global online website' -- just 'website' will suffice."
That's the reason I said that the Web is TERRIBLE for local targeting.
There are MANY businesses for which the Web is a poor marketing fit. For instance, personal service companies (barbers, plumbers, auto mechanics, etc.), that require face-to-face delivery of service, don't benefit much from a website. Their marketing dollars are better spent purchasing a Yellow Pages ad and having that result in a listing that allows them to be found on the Web.
I'm in the process of starting a local business - a scooter dealership - which will have a website, but the reason for the website is NOT to attract new customers. Its purpose is to transform my customers into a community of users, a "club" so to speak. I don't really care if unknown people can find it, but I will make sure that people who have already come into my store know about it.
Kurt SchweitzerPrivate Reply to Kurt Schweitzer |
| Dec 17, 2006 9:14 pm | | re: re: re: re: An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
D&A | | Cathrine,
Some more insight. As mentioned in the previous postings, due to the high currency exchange rates it is very unlikely that users from countries like China, India, Mexico, etc.. will like to buy genric products or services online from US based websites in dollars unless it is a unique or a niche product. As an example a 50$ product or service in USA which is not a lot will be viewed as an expensive on in China or India aftert the conversion (1 USD is about 45 India Rupees)
Even large online businesses like e-bay etc have localized online portals in the native countries that allow users in that country to do business in the local currency and market demographics.
So it all depends on the product and services that you provide and in order to succeed, the target market needs to be focussed.
Dadi
http://DadiAssociates.com
http://AmericaOnlineToday.comPrivate Reply to D&A |
| Jan 27, 2008 2:01 pm | | re: An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
Niels Martin | | Hello Catherine,
I notice that you are running an online dating service. I think this area is very competitive so the idea would be to get the most for a small budget. I think networking directly with other people in the industry will help.
Niels,
Cash Flow, Inc
http://www.cashflow.inPrivate Reply to Niels Martin |
| Jan 27, 2008 3:40 pm | | re: re: re: re: An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
Lorilyn Bailey | | I don't agree at all that local businesses don't need websites. I believe the web has replaced the Yellow Pages in many ways.
When I need a local service (hair stylist, glass repairer, lawn service, restaurant, mechanic, plumber, whatever), I will do a Google search first. I'm much more likely to go to a local vendor with a website. I haven't used the Yellow Pages in many years.
A well-designed website will tell me much more than a Yellow Pages ad. It also shows me that they took the initiative to make it easy for me, a potential customer, to do business with them. And that's good customer service.
Lorilyn Bailey
http://www.GuestFinder.com
Raleigh, North Carolina
Private Reply to Lorilyn Bailey |
| Jan 27, 2008 6:36 pm | | re: re: re: re: An online website-how to attract the right kind of people? | # |
Reg Charie | | Kurt,
I have to disagree with you when you state:
>>There are MANY businesses for which the Web is a poor marketing fit. For instance, personal service companies (barbers, plumbers, auto mechanics, etc.), that require face-to-face delivery of service, don't benefit much from a website. Their marketing dollars are better spent purchasing a Yellow Pages ad and having that result in a listing that allows them to be found on the Web.
Google has gone great guns with local search and results are excellent.
This means that small businesses can compete on a better than equal footing with the large corporations.
The key to this is to get your company's location on your site in a prominent position.
Look at the text I put in the header for http://latelierart.com/ then go Google "Crafts Classes Broward county" (no quotes) and you will find the site #1
Painting Classes Broward county is #4
drawing Classes Broward county #1
Sculpture Classes Broward county #4
Kids art Classes Broward county #4 and so on.
BTW the site is just over a month old and has few inbound links.
Reg
http://DotCom-Productions.com Private Reply to Reg Charie |
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