Search Engine Optimization(SEO) articles.
Domain Stats Followed by Good Old Fashioned Sales Strategies:
This is a topic that cannot be discussed enough, as it can affect a site’s
ability to convert clicks into sales. I read someone’s insightful comments
in a LED that these are the times to be more creative. I cannot agree more
(sorry I didn’t write his/her name down, if you know who it is, please
convey my thanks). I would like to offer my suggestions for successful
implemented, using real-life experiences/example(s) as a web site owner.
Instead of pumping too much money into attracting clicks, why not start a
long-term customer-focused approach? I have found that manual
submission to SEs, and site linking are great for clicks and occasional sales.
Personalized e-mails:
However, sending customers personalized e-mails in addition to the two
system order emails (one to confirm order, another to confirm order has
been shipped), brings in even more sales that are not referred through links.
Ask for the referral:
In this third and customized e-mail, I actually ask for my customer’s
continued patronage if they are happy with the product, and ask for a referral
to his/her friends. It also helps that we offer an additional customized
service only available to actual customers, not currently offered by any other
site (too detailed to mention here).
Signatures:
Do begin to take stock of services your customers might find helpful, match
them with your strengths and resources, and offer them. Do list these in your
signature’ when sending e-mails to your customers. This frees up your time
spent on each e-mail.
Convey a personal touch:
Do make the effort to convey your personality when
communicating with customers. Use a friendly, ‘chatting with you face-to-face’
tone- simple, straight to the point sentences. Do explain yourself further
if you slipped and used terms the customer may not understand. Do take that
extra step to begin AND close your communications with ‘thank you for
shopping at —.com’, etc.
Aside- once, a customer left a phone message asking me to call her about
changing some specific detail of her order. Her husband answered the phone.
At the end of the change, I did not think it was appropriate to say ‘thank you for
ordering at ‘—-.com’, since it was his wife who made the order (I’m still kicking
myself). Instead, I asked him to please give my regards to his wife. He made a
tiny gasp in surprise! I knew then that I had a 80% chance that they would refer
my site to their friends.
The point here is, go with facts and intuition, add warmth, and a touch of your
personality[hire someone with a bubbly personality and a brain for business
otherwise.]
Think all this is a tall order? Oh, kick scream and vent all you want: we are all
back in school, learning how to ‘bake a cake’. Just when you think you have the
perfect ‘cake’, dynamics change, and we are back to square one. Don’t get
discouraged, ingredients for baking that perfect ‘cake’ have some constants that
do not change too often- use these to your advantage. We all seek the right
combination of skills/value added services that will clinch a sale from our
potential customers. Only these days, we want our customers to feel even closer
to us- like family.
The fact is, customers rule, to get them, you earn them the old fashioned way.
Just my 0.02cents. My thanks to all contributers who have been hammering home
one or more of the above ‘killer’ strategies all along. It’s time for us ‘customer
sales seekers’ to act…and fast!
Iris Turner
Originally published in LED Digest 2001(I believe the year was).
Search Engine Ranking Guarantees:
As an SEP/SEM/SEO company, we can help by demystifying the myths,
and to further clarify differences between Search services offered.
Partner Myth:
Unsolicited e-mail received over a year ago alerted us – 1st
TechSolveNet(a sister website offering free website analysis of
SEOBusiness.com)- to the very myth of which you speak. Some
unscrupulous SEP/SEM/SEO companies have been exaggerating the natural
partnership between two parties that conduct business.
There is no special relationship or privilege granted by a Search
Engine to a Search Engine Marketing (SEP/SEM/SEO) company over
another.
A call to Yahoo! or Google, for example, should quickly set the
facts straight. One of the things I like about Google is their
quick response to other related myths:
seo myth.
Hopefully, Google will have the ‘partner’ myth listed as well, and
soon. Such untruthful and consequently disreputable companies are
responsible for the existing mayhem in confused business Website
Owners, and Project Managers. A Website Analysis from a reputable
SEO company quickly counteracts the damage done by such disreputable
companies, and dispels the myth.
Service Guarantee Myth:
As a company that does provide a service guarantee, our service is
geared toward the Client’s satisfaction of experience,
professionalism, attention to detail, and hours necessary to get the
job done over and beyond Client expectations. This includes
covering any known marketing variables that may inadvertently result
in lower performance of a Search campaign.
In essence, experience counts. We are accountable, just as an
employee may be, to provide top notch work. We cannot speak for
other SEM companies- each has their own service guarantee, and one
would do well to ask each one for details.
SEM companies to steer clear of are those that offer a ranking
guarantee.
Ranking Guarantee Myth:
A ranking guarantee is by far different from a service guarantee. A
ranking guarantee indicates that there is a special privilege
between Google (for example) and the SEM company, that precludes any
other SEM company from achieving certain top rankings for their
Client.
For an SEM company to further state that a refund would also be
available to the Client should the ‘special’ or magical privilege
fail to deliver the promised rankings, points to the sheer lunacy of
the initial claim itself.
It should be clear at this point, that a ranking guarantee is not
possible. To any company continuing to claim ranking guarantees:
hear ye, and heed well.
Rankings cannot be guaranteed, as a heavy reliance is made on
previous Search algorithms (think Google), and strategies that have
worked well in the past based on those algorithms. Once those
algorithms change, it is a big rush to ‘re-mix’ the strategies that
work, and in the order of importance to their impact on the updated
search effort.
PPC Sponsored Listing Guarantee Myth:
PPC Sponsored Listing advertising is not ranked. Most PPC Sponsored
Listings list the most popular listing first. Google AdWords, for
example, is both performance-based (popularity of the listing) and
cost-per-click -based. The least popular ad is usually shown at the
bottom of the Sponsored Listings.
We shall use fictitious characters to further clarify how top
rankings are gained on Google AdWords (Sponsored PPC Listings): Joe
WeSolveYourProblem places a Google AdWord that is targeted and also
has a call to action. Consequently, more people click on Joe
WeSolveYourProblem’s Google AdWord campaign than Andy
PlaceQuickAd’s. The result is that Joe WeSolveYourProblem’s AdWord
campaign is placed before Andy PlaceQuickAd’s AdWord LISTING.
So can a company guarantee high / top PPC Sponsored Listings? A
better move would be to provide the Client with past performance
metrics that prove a high LISTING is POSSIBLE.
Regards,
Iris Turner
http://www.seobusiness.com
