Vivo Group | Web Strategy Blog

2 Signs Your Social Media Will Fail

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:07:22 +1000

Everywhere you look, you’re told to get on social media because “it’s a great way to market your business”. This is true, however most don’t understand why they’re doing it or what to expect from it.

The truth is, success in social media is challenging. Most businesses don’t succeed due to failure to plan and execute.

Here are our top 2 signs that you’re on a fast track to social media failure, with tips on how to avoid it:

Warning Sign #1: You have unrealistic expectations

One of the most widely held assumptions is all social media is viral. Companies launch into social media expecting to be met with likes, followers and comments en masse. When this doesn’t happen, most businesses give up.

However, social media is no overnight miracle worker. if your company is just starting out with no online presence, you have to commit to long-term participation before you start seeing a return on your time investment.

You need to be realistic in terms of what it takes to succeed by establishing benchmarks that are aligned with your company’s strategic goals. Ask - what do you want your outcomes to be? Is it sales, conversions, brand engagement or awareness? How will you measure success and failure? What happens if you don’t get there? Report on your social media’s productivity every month, quarter and year to identify changes and trends.

Warning Sign #2: Your social media content isn't social

Many companies don’t understand the collaborative power of social media, and clutter their networks with controlled marketing messages. If all you post is self-promotional or sales-oriented material, you will be be filtered out by your target market, and essentially be talking to yourself.

Winning content is rooted in authenticity, transparency, collaboration and community. The best page posts are sincere, ask questions or joke around. Social media gives you the opportunity to give your brand a personable voice - embrace it. Don’t be afraid to have an opinion, and always encourage members to contribute to your networks. And when you highlight your products and services, do it in a credible way that inspires conversation.

Overall, businesses shouldn’t rush into social media. You need to establish clear benchmarks and know what content works for your target audience prior to launching. If you need a helping hand, Vivo Group specialise in social media strategy. Contact us today.

#Pinterest Marketing, How To Measure Success

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:55:04 +1000

Pinterest - It needs no explanation. By now you’ve likely been inundated with best practice guides and case studies. We won’t weigh you down with more how-to’s; we’re more interested if Pinterest is a valuable time and resource investment.

Outside of Pinterest follower counts, there are few ROI metrics available to explore. Pinterest is still a marketing experiment, with its potential currently being explored by brands, businesses and retailers alike. Here’s what the statistics tell us so far:

From Q2 2011 to now, Pinterest has grown from representing 1.2% of social media revenue for e-commerce sites to 17.4%. This figure is predicted to grow to 40% by Q2 2012; Pinterest drives more referral traffic than YouTube, LinkedIn and Google+ - with its share of social media referrals growing steadily; A report by RJMetrics found Pinterest is retaining and engaging users as much as 2-3 times as efficiently as Twitter was at a similar time in history; Over 80% of pins are repins, demonstrating Pinterest’s tremendous virality at work.

Crunching the Numbers

Pinterest lacks an analytics dashboard, but measurement tools are springing up including PinPuff, PinReach and Pinerly. These tools don’t measure the true worth of your Pinterest activity, but make a great attempt and are a useful starting point for analysis. Until more established ROI metrics emerge, we have to rely on simple internal research and analysis. Here's what to look at:

1. Traffic

In contrast to Facebook and LinkedIn which encourage on-site activity, Pinterest is geared toward encouraging users to click on the images and visit the original source. Therefore, tracking referral traffic and unique visitors is an immediate benefit that you can easily measure through Google Analytics. Using Analytics, deem how many users are visiting via Pins, and what page they’re entering through to deem which pin(s) are generating the most traffic. Also look at conversions - how many visiting Pinterest users purchased a product, requested a quote or completed a website action?

2. Market Research

This step entails discovering what people are pinning from your website to gain insights into customer perceptions. Search http://pinterest.com/source/”yourdomain.com” - replace “yourdomain.com” with your own URL. Next, research how your followers are interacting with your boards - which pins are your followers repinning, liking and commenting on? So far, repins offer a fair assumption of a user’s engagement with your content. However, a repin doesn’t guarantee a user follows as a result, so look at the ratio of users repinning to users following. Overall, a little market research provides preference and taste data that can be utilised to optimise your Pinterest strategy.

Once you identify your successful pins, you can dedicate more time to pinning valuable images that generate traffic.

For more information on Pinterest Marketing or implementing a Pinterest strategy, contact Vivo Group. We're marketing strategists who take the guesswork out of niche social networks.

P.S. Follow Vivo Group on Pinterest for all things digital

How to Optimize Email for Mobile Audiences

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:31:48 +1000

With the surge of mobile uptake in recent years, email subscribers are now viewing emails in a diverse ecosystem of desktop, mobile and social contexts. Therefore, it's imperative to design your email marketing campaigns with mobile in mind, to ensure that your mobile recipients are getting the best user experience from your messages. If you’re not optimising your email marketing for mobile, you could be missing valuable opportunities. Read on to find out how to optimise your EDM campaigns for mobile audiences.

How do I know if I have a mobile audience?

Web analytics and surveys can help you decide. Most email marketing software includes email analytics to collect information on which email clients and devices your subscribers are using to view their emails. A general rule: if over 7% of your subscribers are viewing your campaigns via mobile, it’s time to optimize.

How do I optimize email for mobile audiences?

There are no mobile email standards, therefore successful email design focuses on the viewing environment rather than specific devices.

Small subject: Keep your subject line within 15 characters; Scale and streamline: Reduce the width of your emails to 600px, using a single column or stacked layout. Simplicity rules in mobile; Touch and go: The finger is the new mouse. Design for image-based touch targets at 45 x 45px; Bigger is better: Use 14px text for body and 22px text for headlines. Anything smaller will be resized; Mobilise content: Don’t reduce the amount of content, simplify mobilise it. Favour short sentences and clear calls to action; Lighten your load: Emails should be 20K or less, anything larger has to be downloaded by the user. Landing pages: Link to mobile-friendly landing pages with a narrower width and brief copy. Replace Flash with HTML5, CSS3 or JavaScript. Test: Send yourself a test and open it on your mobile device to get a feel for how it’ll look to your subscribers. Make changes if necessary.

Vivo Group specialise in custom email design, guaranteeing enhanced consumer relations and superior response rates. For more information, contact us today.

4 Ways to Generate B2B Leads Through Social Media

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:10:38 +1000

B2B social media is on the rise, connecting businesses to prospective clients and providing value to current clients. However, despite its relationship-building benefits, many businesses have trouble converting social media interactions to leads and sales, and proving their social media programs are contributing to business revenues.

According to a White Horse marketing survey, 86% of B2B firms are using social media, compared to 82% of B2C firms. However, B2B firms aren't as active in their social media activity - only 32% engage on a daily basis, compared with 52% of B2C firms. In addition, a BtoB Magazine survey found that 59% view lead generation as their greatest online marketing channel.

But, it doesn’t have to be difficult. So, how do you make social media an efficient, cost-effective channel for finding new customers and clients online?

Step 1: Consider Your Staff, Channels and Customers

To ensure your business or brand is maximising social media for lead generation, you need a dedicated social media team or group who can plan, create, monitor and measure on a daily basis to ensure your social media presence is timely and relevant to the target audience.

Next, consider your presence on social media, as well as your audiences. The first step toward lead generation is awareness, where prospective clients go through a period of learning before considering making a purchase or enquiry. Here’s what you should do to target the right audience and maximise brand identification:

It’s of utmost importance that each of your social media channels is active, branded and clearly communicates your business’ brand message in the description, images and content. Go over your networks with a fine tooth comb and ensure your website URL, contact email and phone number are clearly visible on all - you want to give your fans and followers every opportunity to contact you. Consider your target customer as well as the decision-makers and influencers in your industry. Each has their own media habits, needs and drivers to purchase. Consider what networks they’re most active on and ensure you’re visible there. If you’re missing a valuable social network, set up an account now.

Step 2: Develop a Content Strategy

People have very short attention spans. Therefore, it’s important to give significant thought to the content you offer, and the way in which you present it to engage potential customers. The key is to produce a frictionless way for customers to get the solutions they seek, in as little time as possible.

Compile a list of search keywords and topics that matter to your target customer or client. It’s important that you talk about what matters to them. Develop your content to focus on the keywords and topics that resonate with your target audience. Rather than sales-oriented content, focus on free advice, content and consultation. The convenience of a solution-based approach translates to greater value; Craft your content in a way that speaks to your audience. By matching tone and messages to your target audience and targeting specific content to different platforms, increased engagement occurs. Put a visible call to action on every piece of content you publish to take advantage of the opportunity for conversion. Include a link to a landing page to expand on key ideas or offer a lead-capture form for prospective customers to download/access further content;

Step 3: Maximise Content Discovery

Maximise the spread of your content to increase the likelihood it’s seen by the right eyes with the following practises:

Publish frequently. There’s a strong correlation between how frequently you update your social media and the amount of traffic generated. So, the likelihood of acquiring a client or customer increases each time you publish a blog, update your status or tweet. Foster sharing by creating content with share buttons and social sharing links to increase discoverability amongst like-minded people; Nurture potential customers through multiple channels by promoting your social media in your regular newsletters, allowing them to choose how to engage with you; Engage those who share your content. In addition to communicating thought leadership, this process fosters social proof and increases the likelihood that new users will consume and share your content. Monitor brand mentions and conversations using social search engines such as Google Alerts and Social Menton to identify opportunities for engagement. Join the conversation by offering further information, useful resources and solutions to queries. You never know who could translate into a sale;

Step 4: Crunch the Numbers

A little data crunching is important to determine which social media is converting at a higher rate, as you want to focus your attention on the online communities that convert into more qualified leads.

Firstly, define what constitutes a qualified lead. Regularly analyse how much traffic and leads you’re generating from each social platform you’re participating in to determine its value. Identify what your target customer responds to and adjust your strategy to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

These are 4 simple steps that you can implement now to work toward increasing lead generation for your business or brand. For more information, contact Vivo Group. We’re online strategists and marketing experts who can take the guesswork out of social media.

Marketers Guide to Facebook Timeline for Brands

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 01:10:49 +1000

Within the next month, everything you know about Facebook Fan Pages will change. Facebook Timeline for Brands is now being rolled out, and will be the default by March 30.

It’s different to what you’re used to, with the demise of popular features including the famed default landing tab, but with all new layout, marketing and administration features to take advantage of. Read on to discover the new changes, and best marketing practises for brands transitioning to the new fan page format.

LAYOUT: COVER PHOTO AND CHRONOLOGICAL TIMELINE

Facebook Timeline for Brands is similar to Timeline for personal profiles, focusing on the past as much as the present. This feature presents an opportunity for brands to emphasize chapters in their history that are relevant and interesting to fans. Did you know American Express began as a courier service in the late 19th century? Or that Coca Cola was invented as a treatment for headaches? Sharing a brand’s back story - right back to it’s humble beginnings - stimulates conversation, and helps humanise a faceless business.

Go through your company’s history and mark milestones (business founded, product launched, store openings, new staff) to construct a narrative for your audience. Accompany your milestones with images for full effect.

For example, Ben & Jerry marked the introduction of "More Fantastic Flavours" as a milestone in 1999. When users navigate via the timeline sidebar, they can view key events throughout the brand's history.

Of equal importance is the Timeline’s cover photo - an 815 x 315px image that should capture attention and introduce fans to the brand. However, the graphic cannot drive any action to benefit your business. There are strict guidelines, that stipulate cover photos cannot include:

Price of purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it at our website”; Contact information such as website address, email, mailing address, or information that should go in your Page’s “About” section; References to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share” or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features; Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends”.

Think visually about your brand values to construct a cover photo that tells your story, is pleasing to the eye and omits promotional material.

MARKETING: APPS, PINNED POSTS & ADVERTISING

In the new Timeline for Brands, you cannot set a default landing Page - the bread and butter of Facebook marketing. What’s more, Timeline has reduced app visibility, with apps now displayed in rectangular tabs underneath the cover photo. There are only four tab panels viewable at any given time - one of which is occupied by Photos. To see more apps, users must click the drop down box. In addition to changes to the visibility of apps, the content of applications has been altered. The new Timeline layout has replaced the existing 520px width configuration with a new 810px layout. In addition, applications will need new application icons at 111 x 74px.

Overall, marketers need to change their entire game plan - the configuration of apps, the app’s visibility, and how they direct traffic to the tab. It’s against Facebook’s guidelines to point an arrow to the tab with a call to action in the cover photo, so what’s left? Facebook has introduced a new feature which is of interest, allowing brands to “Pin” a post to the top of the Timeline (distinguishable by an orange flag), so it precedes any other content. While a pinned post only remains for seven days, it’s the first thing a user sees when visiting your page. In this way, pinning posts to the Timeline’s prime real estate will become the norm for highlighting or linking promotional material.

What’s more, Facebook ads can still guide clicking users directly to an application, which will increase reliance on Facebook advertising campaigns.

RELATIONSHIPS: PRIVATE MESSAGING & FRIEND ACTIVITY

The new Timeline for Brands will be more user-centric, with friend activity prominently featured. When you visit a page, you will be able to see how many of your friend’s have liked the brand, as well as what your friends are saying about it, whether it’s positive or negative. The prominence of the friend activity box has enormous implications for user engagement and whether a new user clicks Like or not. The onus is on the brand to engage customers and foster positive social recommendations through relevant stories, exceptional service and regular promotions.

In addition, Facebook has introduced the ability for brands to send and receive private messages via their company Timeline. This is great for timely, personalised customer service, as well as removing negative conversations from the public Timeline. If you don’t want to receive private messages from fans, you can turn this feature off in admin settings.

MANAGEMENT: NEW ADMIN TOOLS

Changes have also been made to the Timeline’s back end, with the introduction of a new format which is simpler to use, displaying latest notifications, private messages and a snapshot of page analytics. Most importantly, admins can alter page posts by navigating to the Activity Log and using the drop-down menu to star, hide, change dates and delete stories. This means that administrators are always in control of what posts are prominent on the timeline.

Facebook Timeline for Brands is more interactive, more visually appealing and more story-focused. However, do not lose focus on the power and importance of the news feed and providing engaging, valuable content.

For more information on implementing the new Timeline for Brands, contact Vivo Group.

Google Social Search: Time to Rethink Your Strategy

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:36:00 +1000

If you thought Google Plus was going to fail, think again. Google has made a big move into the social space with Google Search Plus Your World, which transforms Google “into a search engine that understands not only content, but also people and relationships”. This is the Googleverse, after all. But what does this change mean for your social and SEO strategy? Read on to find out.

What is Search Plus Your World?

Google Search Plus Your World is the integration of Google Plus with Google Search. When you’re logged into Google Plus, the new social search algorithm returns “more relevant” results by aggregating data from your network - such as people in your circles and the pages they have recommended - and bumping these personalised results to the top of the search results page. Google calls this access “your web”, because “you should be able to find your own stuff on the web, the people you know and the things they’ve shared with you”. Google Search Plus can be switched off, however people and pages recommendations cannot be disabled.

Many have criticised the depth of the Search Plus world, because search results are exclusively stacked towards your Google Plus network. How can Google tout a personally relevant search engine when it doesn’t consider content on Facebook or Twitter? Is Google leveraging it’s search platform in a last ditch attempt to claim social media supremacy?

Overall, it doesn’t matter how much we like Google Plus, it matters how we optimise the network to gain a competitive search advantage.

Google + is the New SEO

You can no longer turn a blind eye to Google Plus. In Google Search Plus Your World, your G+ friend’s online interactions and experiences are more relevant than links and domain authority. Now, your web content ranks higher by building an active and interested Google Plus network and encouraging them to +1 your content.

Your Google+ Strategy

The key is to optimise for humans, not bots. In this way, Content needs to be as conversational as it contextually relevant in order to be visible in Google’s social search.

Don’t wait, get on Google Plus and create a company page. Focus on keywords and links in the About, load up the Recommended Links with your other social media profiles and populate your page with photos; Change your G+ privacy settings so you’re posting publicly; Grow your fan base. Add a +1 button to your website and blog, but give users a reason to “want” to add you. Don’t play the numbers game - you’re looking for social engagement. Develop a list of keywords and topic areas your business is known for. Share creative, quality content around these topics to get people talking, interacting and sharing; Watch your competition closely. What are they doing on Google+? Make sure you’re doing more; Measure your social presence. What content is driving interaction? Identify what you could be doing better. Circle us on Google Plus!

If there’s one thing we’ve learnt from Google Search Plus Your World, it’s that the digitial world is ever-evolving, and you should always be prepared to chop and change.

Need more guidance on G+? Contact Vivo Group today to see how we can help you get set up on Google Plus, grow a fan base and create quality content to drive engagement.

News Feed Optimization, Be Noticed on Facebook

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:28:25 +1000

Facebook, the best known and most widely adopted social network, is a crowded place. So crowded, that the average fan page status update only reaches 7.5% of it’s fan base. 70-90% of your fans will never see your status updates because Facebook categorises content with an algorithm to hide content that it assumes users won’t want to see. If a user has never visited your fan page or interacted with you, he or she won’t see any new content you publish. If a fan has commented once or twice, they might see one third of your new status updates. However, to get the most out of Facebook, you want all, or at least most of your status updates to be visible in your fan’s streams. In this blog, we’ll break down Facebook’s EdgeRank Algorithm to show you how to beat it.

Let’s start with some definitions

The EdgeRank Algorithm is relatively straight foward. A status update is called an Object. When a user interacts with an Object, they create an Edge (i.e. like, comment, share). To find an object’s EdgeRank (a.k.a importance to a user), three variables are considered: Affinity, Weight and Time Decay.

Multiply these variables, and you get an Object’s EdgeRank. The higher the score, the more likely the Object will appear in a user’s news feed. The lower the score, the more obscure your content becomes. Essentially, it’s one big popularity contest.

So, how do I get on Facebook’s popular list?

Forget fancy Facebook tabs, an effective SM strategy focuses on the news feed, not the fan page. Much like SEO, News Feed Optimization (NFO) is an optimization process to position you in the top spot in the news feed, and keep you there. Here’s how to do it:

Post photos and videos over links and simple text updates, and think “viral”. Where appropriate, tag other pages and people in your posts to maximise it’s visibility; Treat your status updates as a conversation. Ask questions to elicit comments. Respond to comments quickly to show your account is responsive, while boosting your comment count and Edge’s weight; Post 1-2 times a day to increase your chances of being seen. Think carefully about timing - you may need to test out different times and track responses to find a solution that works best for your brand page; You want your fans to visit your page from time to time. Give them an incentive with a sweepstake, giveaway or promotion (within Facebook’s guidelines, naturally); Focus on attracting genuine fans who are interested in engaging with your content. Target appropriately with your ads, and don't get caught up with numbers. The "people talking about this" figure is the important one; Limit use of automated publishing services like NetworxedBlogs or scheduling tools like Hootsuite or TweetDeck. The algorithm prefers content composed within Facebook; Get dirty with data. Monitor Facebook Insights to analyse which posts are effective, and what time people are interacting with your posts or page. Make changes where necessary.

Vivo Group specialise in social media marketing, combining news feed optimization best practise. Contact us today to see how we can help you achieve your SME goals!

Mobile Website vs. Mobile App, Which Do I Choose?

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:43:58 +1000

It’s common knowledge that web-enabled mobile devices have transformed the way we interact with technology and information. Today, more than ever, users are searching the Web, purchasing products and networking with their peers on smart phones and tablets.

However, most businesses don’t prioritise creating a mobile presence to equal their Web presence. This represents a missed opportunity to harness the ever-growing mobile market. As more consumers wake up to the idea of mobile connectivity, businesses also need to evolve and adapt by providing a new connection to users with mobile communication needs.

It’s time to give your website a mobile makeover. But the question remains; create a mobile website or a mobile application?

Mobile website v mobile application

The two most prevalent means of reaching consumers on mobile devices are mobile websites and mobile applications. Both apps and mobile websites can be accessed on a handheld device such as an iPhone, Android or Blackberry, however the similarities end there.

A mobile website is a ‘version’ of your regular website designed for the smaller screen display and resolution while incorporating load time and touch-screen functionality. In contrast, a native mobile application is a product downloaded from an app marketplace and installed on a device by the user. Other features are listed below.

Mobile websites:

Instantly accessible by the user; Compatible across all mobile devices regardless of the operating system; Easily updateable and manageable;

Mobile websites are predominantly used for research and e-commerce as they can be accessed via search engines. What’s more, it’s easier to drive traffic to a mobile landing page, rather than an app store to encourage users to engage with your content. Finally, users can’t delete your website in the same way they can delete an app from their device.

Mobile apps:

Available both online and offline; Require a separate version to be developed for each device and operating system; Work seamlessly with the device’s functionality e.g. camera, location-based services etc

For interactive games, an app is almost always the best choice to maximise the mobile experience. However, updating an app is not automatic and requires the user to download the change. In addition, as applications are programmed in specific computer languages, they are native to only one device. Therefore, the business must choose to build an app for all, or just one mobile device.

So, which do I choose?

As a general rule, If you want to offer mobile-friendly content with mass market appeal, choose a mobile website. If you’re interested in a niche market represented by use of a certain device and operating system, a mobile app is suitable. However, it all boils down to context. Who is your target customer? Which devices do they use? What do they want from you?

As a helpful starting point, begin with a mobile website so if your customers find you with their mobile device, they’re provided with an engaging and user-friendly experience. Then, you can move to creatively harness your customer with an interactive mobile application.

The good news

The good news is, it’s easy to make your website mobile compatible. Contact Vivo Group today to see how we can help you harness your mobile market.

Social SEO, Integrating Social Media and Search

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:39:34 +1000

To stay relevant in 2012, we’re moving toward a more focused and cohesive approach to social media; one that intersects social media marketing and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to create Social SEO. In a nutshell, it involves optimizing your social presence for search engines, effectively killing two birds with one stone.

But how are they related?

The social web and search engines are becoming increasingly linked, as Bing and Google’s search algorithms advance with how we use the Web. Social networks, in particular, produce an immense amount of data. In this way, linking to and from social networks is influencing a URL’s ranking in search results. Therefore, any digital content shared on social networks is an opportunity for optimizing your visibility in search engines.

Take Blendtec for example. The brand’s “Will It Blend” YouTube series has attracted thousands of links on Facebook and Twitter, resulting in a top ten ranking on Google for the word ‘blender’.

How to implement Social SEO

Your ultimate goal is to socialise your brand's digital content and optimize it to work in sync with social networking to leverage link building and sharing, thereby increasing search engine discovery.

Here are our four simple steps to integrate social media and search strategy:

Listen: It’s important to know who you’re targeting and how your audience interacts with information to work in a targeted way. Which social networks do your readers frequent? What information do they find useful or entertaining? How do they share content? Answer these questions before progressing. Unify: Design a unified keyword strategy. Use the same keywords across your website, blog and social media activities to increase your likelihood of being found in search. In particular, use keywords in titles for effective search discovery. Create: Spend time creating and optimizing relevant, reader-centric digital content. Don’t be limited by text; diversify your content. Use video, widgets and images to project your message and increase social sharing. Share: Make sure that your content can be found. The more often your posts can be found, the more they can be shared. Share your content on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn where people with common interests interact and share. What’s more, make it easy for consumers of your digital content to socially save, share and submit your content to their networks and bookmarks.

Why you should move toward Social SEO

By integrating social media marketing tactics with SEO best practice, social SEO uncovers new markets and opportunities, increases subscribers and content consumers, and allows your business to be found by those in need of your product or service.

Need expert advice? For more information on implementing Social SEO for your business, contact Vivo Group.

Top 5 Ways to Increase Website Traffic

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:55:37 +1000

Increasing traffic to your website is a challenge, given the “If you build it they will come” mentality no longer applies in the crowded online marketplace. The issue isn’t your website design or development; the issue is you’re not investing time in earning visitation. That’s right - If you want to attract more qualified traffic, you need to find your users first. Read on for our top five ways to increase your online visibility.

Submit your website to search engines

Ultimately, your website will be visited because it is visible in search engine results, not because it’s nice to look at. Yet, contrary to popular belief, you have to tell Google that you exist.

For inclusion in organic online searches, the trick is to get a competitive ranking for relevant keywords. Before submitting your website to the major search engine players such as Google and Yahoo! Search, it’s important to optimise your website. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the science of search engine rankings. To ensure your website shows at the top of the list, research keywords relevant to your industry, business and offerings, and include said keywords on all pages (subtly, of course).

Next, to submit or suggest your site to the major engines, view these pages:

Google - www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl Yahoo! Search - http://submit.search.yahoo.com MSN - http://search.msn.com/docs/submit.aspx

Now, when a user searches for terms similar to your keywords, the “Spiders”, “Bots” and “Web Crawlers” will include your website in search results, thereby increasing your website's visibility and maximising opportunities for click-throughs.

Start an SEO-friendly blog

Another way to increase your natural search engine ranking is with a blog laden with descriptive keywords. Writing a SEO-friendly blog guarantees optimised backlinks to your website while generating traffic. But, make sure the content is also interesting, informative or helpful to your readers. Here are the basics of effective blog writing:

Use the most relevant keywords in your title, and start your first paragraph with the same keyword Include at least one descriptive keyword every 100 words or so Include a relevant call to action - what do you want your reader to do as a result of reading? Get your content into circulation with social media and bookmarking share buttons Submit your blog URL to as many blog directories and RSS feed submission sites as humanly possible

Provide value by giving away (some of) your best work

Content is King, especially free content. Engage new visitors and create goodwill by offering users something of value for free and encouraging them to share it. Not only are you offering valuable information to potential customers, you’re increasing the visibility of your business, brand and website to the masses. Wondering what to give away? Try:

Free advice in the form of tutorials or e-books Special offers and discount codes Design templates or high-resolution images A song from your album or the first chapter of your book

Become a voice of authority

The best way to attract qualified users is to hang out where they hang out. Meet your Web neighbours by becoming active on news groups, forums, Facebook pages and blogs. Join in on the discussion with constructive and useful information relevant to your expertise area, but be wary of spamming - this is a credbility building exercise. If you include your website’s URL in your signature, users will start to visit your website because they think you’re a helpful and knowledgeable resource.

Last, but not least

This is often overlooked, but incredibly important. Include your email and Web address on all of your company’s print literature, stationery and advertising. I’m talking email signatures, invoices, envelopes, brochures, business cards, ads, flyers, business letters, newsletters and press releases.

Remember, there are no quick fixes to increase your website’s traffic. But, good things to happen to those who wait. If you’re consistent and persistent, you will reap the benefits of targeted visitation, which ultimately affects your ROI.

What’s your best tip for attracting visitors? Comment below. Or, for more advice, contact Vivo Group. We’re experts at Web Strategy and Online Marketing to attract more highly qualified visitors, convert visitors into customers, and engage existing clients.