The Rise of Malvertising and What It Means to You

Malvertising is a word that has been bouncing around the internet for a while now. It refers to an increasingly common type of online hack, which involves infected links hidden in advertisements online.

However, many marketers fail to realize the significance of this seemingly simple and common hack. In reality, if you aren't versed in the risks and security elements around malvertising, then it's possible that all of your future campaigns could be affected – and not in a positive way. 

Here's the basic scoop that will allow you a good understanding of this nasty type of malware and keep you and your work safe in the future.

What Is Malvertising?

Simply put, malvertising is what is says on the tin: malicious advertising. It takes the visual form of an advert for a website or service that, when clicked, will redirect your computer to criminal servers. From here, there may be a virus which finds its way into your computer or a malicious hacker on the other end trying to farm your bank details.

While some cases of malware, such as the classic porn pop-up, are easy to spot as they seem obviously out of place, some are not so blatant. Often, cybercriminals will use legitimate channels to ensure their advert is placed on a website. Because the infected code is so well camouflaged, site owners and visitors will regularly not be aware there's even a problem until it's too late and the damage has been done.

Malvertising and Me

For bloggers, marketers and small businesses, being aware of the potential effect malvertising could have on your online endeavors is essential. While many of us find ourselves procrastinating when working and clicking on obscure links to quench our boredom, this simple practice could secure your role as a victim of malvertising.

Here's why you don't want that to happen: once malware has accessed your computer, particularly when gaining entry unnoticed, it can cause havoc in your files. A worst-case scenario could include important work documents corrupting or even sensitive customer and client information finding its way into the public domain.

 As well as the frustration and stress required to put right these situations, there's even the possibility of financial loss. This could be via the infiltration of your bank details or through having to pay compensation to a business affiliate whose data you also lost during the attack.

Malvertising & Marketing

Unfortunately, it's not just in terms of our own personal security that malvertising can become a nuisance. If you're running any type of online marketing, promotion or sales campaign then it's also imperative that you take steps to secure yourself from one of these ads jumping on your operation and causing problems for both yourself and your customers.

The main reason for this is to protect the face of your brand. Online reputation is a powerfulthing and companies who fail to properly harness the power of an expansive and positive online presence very often fall short. So when a customer is alerted to potential malware on your website and they subsequently avoid your domain and company like the plague, this is bad news for business. Once the message spreads, it could be enough to bring down your whole brand.

How To Stay Safe

Fortunately, there are several layers of protection and security practices you can apply to every element of your internet use to ensure that all your hard work doesn't become insignificant thanks to a full-blown malvertising attack. These few steps will take you on your way to securing yourself from any significant problems, both with your personal systems and your visible marketing campaigns.

·         Be stringent with clicking. By far the best way to avoid contracting a virus from a malvertising link is not to click on it. When surfing the internet, be sure only to click on trusted sources.

·         Pick the right security suite.There are many great antivirus packages out there that will give you strong automatic protection from infections trying to enter your computer. Picking the right one for your needs is essential so be sure to do some research. 

·         Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).To avoid third-party injections of malicious malvertising code on websites that you run, be sure to use a VPN when away from your office to stop remote hackers gaining access to your admin panel. SecureThoughts provides VPN reviewsif you want more information on this. 

·         Employ website specific security.There are several great plugins available, particularly if you have built your site with WordPress. These will provide dedicated antivirus protection and will alert you to suspicious code. 

It's true that malvertising is on the rise and there is a significant threat to all those who use the internet to promote or share content. However, it most certainly isn't anywhere near a doomsday situation just yet. By employing these simple strategies, you can markedly reduce your chance of contracting malware or hosting it on your website or blog.

Have you encountered malvertising while working on your own projects? How did it affect you? How did you handle it? Let us know in the comments below.

About the Author: Caroline is a technology blogger and internet security expert who has their fair share of marketing experience. She knows how closely connected security and promotion can be and wants to share all she knows to help make the internet a safer place! 

Making Sure You're Getting Your Money's Worth Out of Your Website

Competing with giant online companies is difficult, but proper web design for small business will convince your share of visitors to become customers. Here are some ideas on how to get more sales.

1. ONE-CLICK
 Make it simple. The more involved purchasing is, the less likely it happens. Complex or multiple forms may be asking too much. So are needless steps. Making it easy for visitors to convert to customers is the best way of upping conversion rates. It might be worth paying a web design company for an eye-catching and streamlined process.

2. BRIEF COPY
Let images sell, as images inspire deeper emotional reaction than paragraphs of text. If visitors want to learn more, provide links or menus that allow them to do so. But try to limit explanatory text to thirty words or so, and choose images that show off your product and its benefits. The right photos get an instant positive response. If you need to do explaining, use a series of images and meaningful captions, not a stream of text. It's frustrating to scroll through long paragraphs on a small screen, these are reasons why design website that suitable for mobile devices. If you don't know how to embed YouTube videos, find out.

3. REPEAT, REPEAT
 It's boring in everyday communication, but mental conditioning comes from repetition. Not that you want to brow-beat or brain-wash your visitors. Repeating a few key selling points can help drive the point home. Regarding repetition, frequently review your own site to identify room for improvement. Your selling strategy should always evolve with your market. Always make the time to see what your top competition does, and make note of any web design tips and tricks that could improve your own customer conversion.

4. FREEBIES
This might seem contrary to the whole idea of making a profit, but you want visitors to be pleased with your website, even if they aren't ready to purchase. You don't have to give away merchandise. Offer a free service, or buy or create informative eBooks as free downloads; just make sure it’s relevant to your site, that it's fairly unique and quality information, and includes a link back to your site.

You might also consider giving away freeware. If you're prepared to spend, you might hire someone to produce brand-able software with your own logo and links. A Google search can surprise you with what you can get for nothing. Add more, and let subscribers know; this way, you've got a network of happy people, for little or no cost.

Search for free tools, such as search engine submission, SEO analysis, or keyword research. There are free sources for art, eBook compilers, and logo and banner makers. Used correctly, these things bring more professional results.

5. PROMISES
 Believe it or not, your word is still worth something. If you provide guarantees, discounts, or next-day shipping, make sure visitors know it. Willingness to go the extra mile might be what seals the deal. Once you make a promise, though, go out of your way to make it happen. Site admins know better than anyone how tough it can be to get noticed and get paid. Adopt and track successful website design tips and tricks for yourself. Knowing what works with your visitors will mean steady increases in sales.

How To Market A Company After You Buy It

Buying a business is one of the best ways for someone to become their own boss. There are many different things to remember when it comes to buying a business. First of all, the legal step when buying a business is to sign a contract with the price that is agreed on. Although that sounds simple in theory, there are other things to keep in mind during this process. There are many contract agreement forms that must be signed before the business can officially be turned over. 

Marketing the new business is something that many people do not understand. Here are several tips in marketing for anyone who has just bought a new business.

Invest Early

It is vital to invest in marketing early on in the process. When buying a new business, it can be tempting to simply put all of the time and energy into getting the business up and running again. However, marketing needs to be considered an essential future component of running the business. 

There are many people who understand this and have had success. With all of the different technology available today, there is no excuse not to leverage this into something larger in terms of marketing.

Use Social Media

Social media is one of the best things a business can have when it comes to spreading the word about its products and services. However, social media must be used correctly in order to have leverage with customers. Simply producing content is not enough to drive the results that are needed. Always make sure to take a targeted approach to social media when trying to attract your customers. This focused effort will pay off over the long run.

Thank You Notes

Many people forget about the power of thank you notes in our new world of technology. However, this is one of the best ways to make your company stand out from the rest. Especially when first starting out, this can be a great way of letting customers know of the business transition after the purchase. Once your customer base grows to a certain level this will not be possible, but until then this is a great gesture to make towards customers.

Build a Website

If your company does not already have a website in the purchase agreement, make sure that you start building one the moment you take over. A website is an essential marketing tool in today's world. Anyone who wants to reach the most customers they can needs to make sure their website is as high quality as possible.

Treat Customers Right

The best marketing tool that anyone new business owner can have is to simply treat customers the right way. If customers have a great experience with a company, they have a much better chance of coming back to do business with them against. Over the long term, the most successful companies are those that treat customers the right way.

About the Author: Tully Rickets is a writer with interests in healthy living and marketing. When he's not blogging about healthy behaviors, he enjoys researching ideas for his marketing website from many blogs and websites.

Online And Offline Marketing Strategies That Make a Difference

Today's world tends to be one of extremes, particular in terms of business; rather than focusing on both online and offline marketing, companies will do one or the other. However, it's important to combine your efforts. When you market online, do it offline as well. A marketing campaign that combines both online and offline elements are more effective, cost-efficient, and successful than one that focuses only on one or the other.

1. Embrace the hashtag
Hate it or love it, the hashtag is here to stay. The key to successfully using a hashtag is to remain consistent in your usage; make sure to use the same hashtag each and every time across all platforms. Use it on your offline marketing materials as those online. Within time, your business will become known for that specific hashtag, even though you have no 'real' ownership of it. .

2. Content In the online world, content is king. The same applies offline. By providing helpful, high-value content to visitors of your website, you give them a reason to return time and time again. Your offline efforts should be to direct users to the relevant pages online. A marketing strategy example of this is to send purchasers of a garlic press to your company's Pinterest page or blog for recipes that use garlic. .

3. Check-In on mobile devices People love to announce where they are online. It's the modern-day status symbol. That said, you can easily make use of this by having customers check-in when they're at your store. Offer a small discount at checkout if they can prove they've checked in. Not only will this encourage more people to do so, but you'll receive free advertising and social proof online as a result. It can be as easy as hanging up a fence sign that says, "Check in on Facebook here!" This is an even more effective strategy if you run a trendy store like a coffee shop. .

4. Use custom URLS By using custom URLs, you can track your efforts and find out how much of your traffic is coming from your offline efforts. Bit.ly and other websites allow you to create customized, short URLS that are easy for users to enter but provide you with the information you want: how many people used that URL to find your website. For example, if you're preparing a campaign for the upcoming holiday season, a cloth banner printing with your URL on it will let you track how many looked for more information through that URL. .

5. Use QR codesMuch like check-ins, QR codes can be used to offer discounts, display more information about a product, and much more. Over 50% of web traffic is from mobile devices, and people never leave home without their phones. By ensuring you include QR codes in all of your offline marketing material, you can grab your customer's attentions and direct them to your online presence.

It's important to make use of every marketing avenue available to you. By mixing both your online and offline strategies, you reach out to two separate demographics and create a more coherent marketing strategy. Developing a marketing plan that makes use of both offline and online elements can give you an edge over other companies in your sphere that haven't yet caught on.

About the Author: Tully Rickets is a writer with interests in healthy living and marketing. When he's not blogging about healthy behaviors, he enjoys researching ideas for his marketing website from many blogs and websites.

Bridging the Gap between Traditional and Digital Marketing

Inbound marketing has been a real game-changer for the world of advertising. Brands and agencies are realizing that traditional marketing tactics are no longer enough on their own: while traditional methods still play a significant role in any brand's marketing strategy, it's important to bridge the gap between traditional and digital marketing. On the surface, it may not seem easy to tie the two together, but it's actually possible to create a synergistic approach where your online and offline methods lead into each other to stimulate conversions. Incorporating digital strategies into your overall marketing solution can help your company increase brand awareness, expand your customer base, and retain your existing customers. Let's take a look at the differences between traditional and digital marketing, and see how they can work together to create a cohesive marketing strategy.

Traditional Marketing

Traditional marketing efforts are conducted through offline channels, such as television, radio, print, telemarketing, and direct mail. These campaigns generally require a high degree of planning, involving detailed demographic research. They revolve around the well-known "4 Ps" of marketing: price, product, placement, and promotion. Traditional marketing usually has a longer time frame for execution than digital efforts, and are more expensive overall.

Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing efforts are quite different from their traditional counterparts. With a short life cycle and nearly instantaneous feedback, they can give marketers a targeted, detailed look at consumer behavior, demographics, purchasing habits, and interests. Messaging can be executed on a real-time, one-to-one basis, creating a level of engagement that's impossible with traditional methods. These inbound strategies are invaluable to marketers as a tool to attract, engage, and ultimately convert customers.

Creating Synergy

Traditional and digital (inbound) marketing efforts can work in tandem to create a powerful conversion cycle. For example, QR codes can serve as an effective bridge between traditional and digital campaigns. These codes can be added to print advertising, business cards, and even product packaging. Accessible to anyone with a smartphone and a barcode-scanning app, they can link to your website, blog, product videos, or contact information. Linking them to any of your company's social media properties is an easy way to increase your following.

Even direct mail, a staple of traditional marketing, can make the leap into the digital realm. Companies can use email mailing lists to enhance, or even replace, their existing direct mail efforts. Email boasts multiple advantages over traditional mail for marketing purposes:

--It's easier to respond to
--It's a better choice for brief messages, like follow-ups and confirmations
--It's a better choice for sending reminders

No matter what methods you use to integrate traditional and inbound marketing strategies, it's important to keep a few things in mind. Your traditional and inbound campaigns will work best if launched simultaneously, so that they can support and lead into each other. As your campaign progresses, you can reduce your costly traditional media schedules while continuing to draw visitors through your more budget-friendly inbound marketing efforts. Remember to keep your brand's message, as well as the look and feel of the materials, consistent between both mediums. As you receive and analyze feedback on your inbound efforts, be sure to make the appropriate adjustments to your web-based tactics.

It's clear that traditional and digital marketing methods might appear quite different in their tactics, but they share the same goal: to attract leads, create conversions, and increase brand awareness. Integrated correctly, these two types of marketing can seamlessly lead into each other and streamline the conversion process. Try bridging the gap in your own company's marketing strategy, and watch your bottom line grow.

Special thanks to our guest post writer Rick Delgado. Rick is a technology enthusiast and former direct mail marketer. He's recently taken a step back from a successful career to pursue his passion for writing.

15 Internet Marketing Stats of 2013

Creating a unique and compelling content marketing campaign is becoming increasingly important for modern brands that hope to distinguish themselves. With social media, high-speed Internet and mobile devices reaching a larger audience all the time, we’re witnessing a paradigm shift in the way that products and services are marketed.

Below are 15 marketing statistics from the past year. Some might surprise you, while others might be familiar from previous years

1. The outsourcing of content marketing is becoming increasingly common: 62% of companies now take part in the practice, which represents a 7% increase from last year.

2. The amount of money spent on online content marketing accounts for more than one quarter of the average marketing budget.

3. 72% of shoppers now trust reviews posted online at least as much as they trust personal recommendations from friends and family.

4. It’s now estimated that about 44% of online shoppers use a search engine to begin the shopping process.

5. When it comes to the frequency of posting, marketers see diminishing returns: a brand that posts twice per day receives only 57% as many Likes as it would have if they posted only once per day.

6. It is estimated that by the year 2016, more than half of all the money spent in the retail sector will have been influenced by the web in one way or another.

7. Over the course of the average week, fewer than 0.5% of Facebook users will actively engage with their favorite brands. This handily confirms how important it is for brands to provide the right kinds of content to their audience.

8. 20% of Facebook users have reported purchasing a product or service after seeing an ad or comment about it on the site. Facebook’s targeted ads have gotten a lot of hate, but their success rate continues to climb.

9. The average company only responds to about 30% of feedback provided by fans using social media. This is more than a little bit dispiriting, considering that social media is meant to be a conversation rather than a one-way street.

10. 91% of adult Internet users report using social media websites on a regular basis. In other words, it’s become a nearly inextricable part of our culture.

11. Blogs provide the average brand’s website with 97% more indexed links and a stunning 434% more indexed pages. If you don’t have a blog yet, now is the time.

12. Smartphones now account for more and more online shopping: 64% of smartphone owners now use mobile devices to make purchases online.

13. In an average month, YouTube users watch a total of about three billion hours of video. This confirms how useful it can be for brands to turn their Channels into a destination.

14. Of all smartphone users, 73% report using apps at least once per day to access their favorite social media sites.

15. Of all the accounts on social media websites, approximately 40% of them are spam. 

Special thanks to Alicia Lawrence for today's guest post.  Alicia is a content coordinator for an SEO and web development company and blogs in her free time at MarCom Land. Her work has been published by the Association for Business Communication, Yahoo! Small Business, and Spin Sucks. 

Great Website Marketing Tips You Shouldn't Go Without!

Internet Promotion can be a great way to earn a substantial income. But unless you know how to be successful at web marketing, you may be missing out on an even bigger income. What you are going to read in the following article will help you have a successful career in the affiliate marketing field.

In any internet promotion plan it is important not to push sales on potential customers before they are ready to buy. Selling is not unlike seduction-the goal is to make the customer want to buy of his or her own free will. A sales website should focus on providing seductive information. The option to purchase should always be present but it should always be unobtrusive.

If you are trying to build interest in your online site through your blog, make sure to read the sites of other bloggers. Other blogs will be a great source of inspiration for future posts, as you will be able to see what topics are drawing readers to other blogs and which topics are duds.

Image is everything. When selling something, your photographs need to be of professional quality. No matter how great your product is, people will not be interested if you have amateur-looking photographs. Remember that when shopping online, a person can only go by the picture as a representation of the product, so it needs to be top quality.

Although you've probably read countless tips about title tags and how they relate to Internet promotion, you should also know that these tags will need to be refreshed from time to time. The words and phrases people search change like the weather, so always remember to refresh your title tags every so often.

Successful web marketing isn't just about keeping up with the competition " it's about outshining them. In order to do this, you have to be aware of what they are doing. Check out their website designs and product prices. Read their sales copy to determine its quality and keyword content. Do their sites take a long time to load? Are they consistently offering new services? What kind of external links are they employing? The more you learn, the better prepared you are to use that information to your advantage.

Post all of your articles on your website. This will help your readers and potential clients to know who you are and where to look for you. It adds to your aura of credibility and trustworthiness. Additionally, by adding your good articles to your website, you will attract lots of good, targeted, keyword traffic your way.

Updating content frequently is one of the best things you can do to capture the attention of the search engines. When customers are handed out of date information, they typically assume that the site is not viable or doing well. They will not waste their time on sites like this. A website that is regularly updated and working well encourages visitors.

As was stated in the beginning of the article, a person can earn a large income by web marketing. In order to make the most possible money, you have to know the ins and out of website marketing. Use the advice that was provided to you in the above article, and you will be astounded by the money you can make.

1 Million Views on the Marketing Blog

Today marks a significant milestone in the Marketing Blog's evolution.  We've hit a total of 1 million views since the blog started a number of years ago.  Special thanks to all of my avid followers and those seeking information on marketing, online marketing, and everything in between.

Marketing is continually changing and evolving.  I'm so glad that blogs have finally come into their own.  If you don't have a blog I encourage you to follow, participate, and even start your own.  There's nothing like sharing your ideas and building community around a particular topic or niche.

I was recently asked about my blogging experience and what topics I like to cover.  That's what's great about blogging, anything goes.  The goal of my blogging is to share my experience, positive or negative, so we can learn together.  Although I've been marketing for 15 years now, I know that things are bound to change - it's the nature of life and marketing.

The biggest change I've seen.

The biggest change in marketing I've seen over the past decade has been digital.  Each year digital marketing evolves and has been accelerated with the utilization of social media in all types of formats (ppc, video, images, etc.).  I'm sure this is bound to change but I think the driver that will continue to instigate the change is mobile.  It's already changed so many things regarding our access to data and customization that I don't see it ending anytime soon.

My goal is to continue to be out in front of these changes and to work with the marketing community to guide the conversation around digital, mobile, and any new form of media we see coming towards us.  Marketing is my life and it's essential for any company or brand who has something of value to provide to others to be on the pulse of marketing change.

How does marketing impact you?
To celebrate our 1 million views, I'd love to hear from you.  How has or does marketing impact you?  What are you focused on as we move into the future?  Any thoughts on how marketing will change or how it can be leveraged to create value for others?

What's great about running a marketing blog is that you can share with others like you and have them share back.  Be sure to provide your thoughts in the comments section below.

Marketing Online: It's All About Content and Community

Wow, things have really changed.  Google Panda, Penguin, and Peanut Butter.  Okay, I don't know what comes after the "Penguin" update but things are certainly going to change.  As I think about marketing online and what will differentiate those who find success (versus those who don't), I can't help but think about key characteristics that drive online success.

The two factors that I believe have the greatest influence on online marketing success - today and well into the future - are content and community.  Sites that produce valuable, original content, are those who will succeed.  Sprinkle in the concept of "community" and you're sure to win.

The sites and online businesses that are creating value today have something with community.  Whether the site is a community itself like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or supports a community in some way, social sharing/community is the future of the Internet.  Heck, it's more than the future, its the key driver of online businesses.

To enhance the effectiveness of your website, blog, or even "app", consider how content and community are playing role.  Are you attracting like minded people to your site?  Are you using engaging, unique content to draw them in?  Are you fostering a dialog that keeps people coming back time and again?  

Before you spend another dollar on content, advertising, or even your next marketing campaign, think about the value of content and community and how it applies to your business!

Changes to the Marketing Blog in 2012

Each new year brings new opportunities and new ideas.  This year is no exception.  In fact, I've been spending quite a bit of time thinking about The Marketing Blog and the changes that can benefit those who read the blog as well as the advertisers that want to reach you.  For those of you who follow my blog, you know that I'm a minimalist when it comes to advertising and I have turned down many advertisers in the past.

Even since the days when I started with online marketing, I've been very careful never to sell names or deal with unscrupulous advertisers.  As a result, people trust me and the content on my blog.  This is important to me and everyone in our community.  I'm always looking for ways to connect audiences with information that may be beneficial though- and this year I'll be updating the blog to bring you more of what you want.

Changes to Design

Overall I'm pretty happy with the design of the Marketing Blog.  What's nice about having your own blog is that you can keep tweaking it until you have something you're really happy with.  I've avoided the "templated" approach as I want something unique that you won't find anywhere else.

My plan is to add some advertising units or take the display ads I currently have for my own services and open them up to more advertisers who provide relevant products and services to the marketing community.  I'm considering some self-service type solutions to provide the flexibility needed to create a win-win situation for everyone.

Additional Content

I'd also like to experiment with additional content.  Whether it's adding access to special reports, marketing magazines, or resources, additional content is important to keep everyone informed about today's marketing landscape.  

I'm also looking for more guest posts this year.  I can sit here and write content everyday all day but no one is an expert on everything.  This is especially true when it comes to marketing.  This year I'll be doing more to attract some of today's leading marketing experts and hope you find the additional content worthwhile.

What's Your Role

I love hearing from all of you - my blog readers.  Let me know what additional content, features, and information you're looking for me to cover this year and I'll find the experts to educate all of us across any marketing related topic.  From mobile marketing to loyalty programs, The Marketing Blog has it covered.

Marketing Lessons From NetCars.com

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Louis Rix, Marketing Director from Netcars.com - one of the world's fastest growing online automotive sites. In this interview, Louis not only provides some insight into how he's winning big with online marketing, but also provides helpful online marketing tips any business can use to increase leads and online sales.

1. Hi Louis, tell us about your current role at Netcars.com?

Currently in my role as marketing director of netcars.com I manage the relationships with our PR Company, SEO Agency and Design Agency (everything passes through me). I work closely with our internal PPC Manager and link building team. I am also responsible for reporting to the board on a monthly basis with all new and ongoing developments.

2. How has Netcars.com changed it's online marketing strategy over the past few years?

We’ve only been established for 12 months. However, in that time we’ve covered a massive amount of ground. We have a very complex PPC campaign that can itemized down to a “T”.  We have also launched Facebook advertising; competitions to grow our fan base and increase website traffic. Twitter has been a great tool for us to use from both a BtoB and BtoC point of view and we’re constantly engaging with our audience. Linkedin Advertising is also used to create brand awareness and drive sign ups. As a business we also invest heavily in natural search. We work alongside a very accomplished SEO Agency but we also have internal link builders.

3. What are the 3 most effective online strategies you've used to fuel Netcars.com's amazing growth?
The 3 biggies are: PPC, SEO, Revenue Share Partnerships.

4. What's the biggest challenge you face when it comes to online marketing?

Staying ahead of the game/competition in natural search. Constantly re-engineering our site from a user engagement point of view.

5. Do you anticipate any significant changes coming to online marketing in the near future?

The huge growth of Social Media advertising and the huge rise in the number of people accessing the internet through their mobile/smart phones is leading to large increases in mobile advertising. Gamification is also a hot topic at the moment.

6. What did you do previously in your professional life that prepared you to be the Marketing Director for Netcars.com?

From 2001 to mid 2010 I ran www.carfinance247.co.uk with my brother Reg. Car Finance 247 is a successful car finance broker/dealer that operates nationwide in the UK. I still own this business with my brother but due to our commitments with our new venture we have a management team in place that control the business and report into us both. While running Car Finance 24/7 I was in control of all online marketing (Affiliate, SEO, and PPC). This is where I learned and honed all of my skills that have enabled me to successfully adapt to my new role.

7. How will Netcars be on the cusp of change for online marketing? Do you plan to join the gamification trend?
At Netcars we’re constantly on the lookout for new, exciting marketing ideas. Gamification is definitely something we’ll be launching in early 2012. We’ll be rewarding “net points” to users (to buy car parts for their digital car) for commenting on blog posts, writing car reviews, participating in the forum and helping our community. The end user is always in the forefront of our minds whenever we make any developments to the Netcars website. We’re going to be working hard on improving the data displayed on our “Used Brand/Model” category pages by adding videos, make/model comparison statistics and an “ask the expert” section.

8. What makes Netcars different than other online automotive sites?
Our motto is “We do things differently” – this is clearly displayed in our unique PPC billing model. We can also move quicker than our larger counterparts. We want to share our data whereas everyone else keeps their stats locked away. We also aim to make the car locating process an exciting one rather than a mundane task.

9. What tips on SEO can you give our readers?
Follow 4 steps:

a. Keyword Research – How do your users search for your product? Do not overlook this important stage. You will uncover “low hanging fruit” (high volume search terms with low competition). There are plenty of keyword research tools out there including Google’s free tool https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

b. Site Architecture – this will be determined by your keyword research. Most importantly you have to make sure your site is accessible to search engine spiders. Once that box has been ticked you need to chart the funnel/architecture from your homepage to every page on your website. Do all relevant sections interlink (allowing link juice to follow)? Make sure you have your most important pages at a maximum of 2 clicks away from your homepage.

c. Link Building – Quality over Quantity! Obtain links from relevant, authoritative partners, sites talking about your products. Obtain guest posts/articles from highly respected websites. Make the most out of your PR efforts – syndicate press releases online (with back links embedded).

d. Constantly engage via Social – Facebook shares and tweets are being indexed by Google and are a ranking factor. Make sure you’re engaging with your audience and offer a wide variety of help and information. If someone has a bad experience on your site or with your product talk to them. Don’t just “sell” yourself on Social Media – people will become bored.

10. What tips on PPC can you give our readers?
First, it’s massively important to be able to quantify your PPC spend. If you can’t track goals you’re screwed as you won’t know what adgroups/campaigns are converting or not. Here are a few more:

a. Test ad copy.
b. Day parting – some days convert better than others.
c. Time parting – some hours of an individual day also convert better.
d. Add sitelinks to your PPC adverts. They increase CTR (click through rate). 
e. Positive reviews. If you have over 30 positive reviews on your product make sure they are coming through in your ads. Again the star seller ratings increase CTR.
f. Use your keyword research to plan out you Campaigns and Adgroups.
g. Constantly manage your bids. Position 3-4 may convert better than position 1.
h. Never give up – you don’t have a business if you can’t make Google PPC pay for you.

Special thanks for the guest post and marketing tips from Louis Rix...

Louis Rix is the Marketing Director for Netcars.com one of the fastest growing online automotive sites in the UK.

New Study: How Online Marketing Drives Growth and Profitability in Professional Services Firms

Online marketing has its roots in consumer and product marketing, so it is not surprising that the professional services have been slower to embrace it. Today, many firms continue to believe that finding new clients is all about relationships and referrals. Well, a new study of online marketing for professional services firms is blowing that theory right out of the water.

This study of 500 firms, supplemented by an expert panel of 20 top digital marketing authorities, uncovers dramatic evidence that could accelerate firms’ adoption of online marketing techniques. Below are seven key findings from the study, which our research team released last week:

1. Firms that generate at least 40% of their leads online grow 4X faster than firms that do not generate any online leads.This fact alone gives firms that embrace online lead generation a tremendous competitive advantage. But the old ways of generating business aren’t obsolete yet. The highest growth rates occur when there is a balance between online and offline leads (40-60% of leads from online sources).

2. Increasing online lead generation boosts profitability for the entire firm. Profitability doubles in firms that generate 60% or more of their leads online. So online lead generation accelerates both growth and profitability. As far as we have been able to determine, this is the first time that correlation has been documented in the professional services. 

3. The effectiveness of online marketing is directly related to the level of usage. We asked the firms to rate 15 popular online marketing tools on two criteria: how much they used them and how effective they were. We found that firms that used the tools more frequently enjoyed better results. Obviously, you can’t dabble in online marketing techniques and expect solid results. 

4. Search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing are driving the success of professional services firms.In terms of overall effectiveness, SEO was rated the top technique by study participants and our panel of experts, followed closely by web analytics, blogging, usability testing and whitepapers. 

This is a powerful combination, and it is well suited to the habits of professional services buyers. Professional services markets are typically very competitive, and the sales process is complex. As a result, buyers are actively seeking education and information. So sellers need a way to be found and distinguish themselves.

5. Social media for the professional services is dominated by LinkedIn and Twitter. These two tools are well established in many firms. YouTube and Facebook have potential, but today they lag well behind in rated effectiveness.

6. Online marketing is also useful in recruiting new employees.Recruiting top talent is an ongoing challenge for many professional services firms. After all, their people are their product. About 55% of firms report recruiting new hires online, while one in four firms hire 40% or more of their people that way. Digital recruiting is particularly strong in the government contracting and technology sectors.

7. Online marketing in the professional services is poised to take off. Consider this. Almost half (46%) of professional services firms have redesigned their website in the last year. For firms that fit our “high growth” profile, the figure is over 85%. In addition, two thirds of firms plan to increase their online marketing budget next year, while less than 1% plan to decrease it. And the average increase in online spending is a hefty 56%. Clearly, momentum is building.

So what does this all mean for professional services firms? I see three big implications.

First, if your firm is not generating new business or new hires from online sources, you are missing out on huge opportunities for growth and profit. Sticking with traditional marketing tactics is not going to be a sustainable strategy. While relationships and referrals remain important, they are — literally — only half of the picture.

Second, even if you are actively involved in online marketing, you have more to do. While there are no silver bullets, the study’s high growth firms and panel of experts revealed many opportunities for average firms to enhance their marketing effectiveness, including SEO, usability testing and webinars.

Third, if you are not aggressively investing in online marketing, you are falling behind. This situation will put you at a growing disadvantage as other firms increase their budgets and, in due course, enjoy greater profits and faster growth. As time passes, it will get more costly and difficult to catch up.

The good news is that it is not too late to get in the game. But the results of this study underscore the need to act quickly. The ROI is there. The model is proven. And the momentum is shifting.

Lee Frederiksen is Managing Partner of Hinge, a firm specializing in branding and marketing for professional services. Lee, who was the Research Director for the online marketing study described in this post, welcomes your comments and feedback.

Key's to Launching a New Website

I'm often asked, "How can I launch a new website successfully?" Most people launching a website for the first time think that buying a URL is all they need to do. Nothing could be further from the truth.

When my clients plan to launch a website or new URL, I provide them with a very specific checklist that defines what must be done for Search Engines to recognize and promote you.

The first step is to promote your website to directories. Here are a few directory submissions you must do: Yahoo! Directory, Business.com, Entireweb.com, DMOZ.org, ExactSeek.com, Wikipedia

Once you've submitted your site to the key directories, its advisable to ping the major search engines - letting them know you're out there. You can do this individually or simply use a site like Addme.com.

The other trick I like to use is article marketing. Take some of the content for your site and develop it as an article. This information should be distributed using article marketing software. I personally use Article Submitter Pro which is the best on the market for submitting your articles to article directories and other sites that feed the internet with fresh content.
Article submission is one of the best and most effective ways to increase your search engine ranking results.

If you are offering a product or service through your website, I also highly recommend signing up for an affiliate program like Commission Juncition or Click Bank which is one of the top resources for anyone interested in making money from affiliate programs using their own products or someone elses.

Lastly, I recommend the use of online advertising in the form of pay-per-click keywords. Sites like Yahoo!, Google, etc. use this form of advertising and if done correctly can produce a favorable ROI.

For more web site launch tips like these, visit MarketingScoop.com

What's More Important - Traffic or Conversion?

Today's debate is about the importance of traffic or conversion. When trying to grow your online business, its vital to consider where your efforts should be focused. Assuming that your resources are fixed, would you rather spend your time increasing traffic to your site or simply focusing on the number of individuals who convert?

For those of you who have been reading my blog, you know that I love to reference the success of others. The answer to the question is BOTH! Successful companies are incredibly proficient at doing this AND doing that... focusing on conversions and driving traffic.

Each area of focus requires individuals who own and are accountable for outcomes - but as a business, especially an online business, you must always be aware of and concerned for driving traffic to your site and improving the percentage of browsers to paying customers.

From a sales and marketing perspective, one of the best ways to improve conversion is to break down the purchase decision process into logical steps. What is the current process prospects must pass through on your website to become paying customers? The best thing you can do is sketch out the steps on a piece of paper and put metrics against each step. How many prospects reach your product page? How many click through to the next step? the next? and so on until a purchase is made. Work at increasing the percentages at each stage of the purchase decision process and your sure to increase revenue.

Simultaneously you should be focused on improving organic search results and paid-for placement results. Which keywords are driving the best conversions? (Don't worry about the number of click -focus on the clicks that are converting). Once you know what words are effective, you can use these to attract the right kind of traffic.

As the business bible (Good to Great) shows us, embrace the power of AND!