EgyIT
www.EgyIT.com

EgyIT is a full service Web site design, Hosting and development company committed to providing your business with cost effective Web services.

E-Marketing:
Implementing a successful Internet Marketing campaign is exceptionally challenging in today's online marketplace. Companies must plan and execute more efficiently then their competitors to be successful. Developing effective email campaigns, search engine optimization and positioning strategies, constructing Internet business plans and more are all key to survival in today’s economy.
Businesses must look outside their organization for assistance in planning, development, execution, and tracking; all of which allow companies the kind of success and momentum that will create a profitable business.

Web Marketing:
How can you get more visitors to your website?
What can you do to stimulate traffic?
Here's a checklist of 29 items you need to consider. Many of these you're probably doing already; others you meant to do and forgot about; still others you've never heard of.

Search engine Strategies:
The most important strategy is to rank high for your preferred words on the main search engines. Search engines send robot "spiders" to index the content on your webpage, so let's begin with steps to prepare your WebPages for optimal indexing.

1.	Write a Page Title.
	Write a descriptive title for each page of 5 to 8 words. Remove as many "filler" words from the title, such as "the," "and," etc. This page title will appear hyperlinked on the search engines when your page is found. Entice surfers to click on the title by making it a bit provocative. Plan to use some descriptive keywords along with your business name on your home page. Words people are most likely to search on put first in the title. Remember, this title is your entire identity on the search engines. The more people see in the blue highlighted portion of the search engine that interests them, the more likely they are to click on the link.
2.	Write a Description META Tag.
	Some search engines include this description below your hyperlinked title, though many don't. This sentence should describe the contents of the body text of the webpage, using the main keywords and key phrases used on this page. If you include keywords that aren't used on the webpage you could hurt yourself.
3.	Include Your Keywords in Header Tags H1, H2, H3.
	Search engines consider words that appear in the page headline and sub heads to be important to the page, so make sure your desired keywords and phrase appear in one or two header tags.
4.	Make Sure Your Keywords Are in the First Paragraph of Your Body Text.
	Search engines expect that your first paragraph will contain the important keywords for the document. You don't want to stuff keywords here, however. Google expects a keyword density in the entire body text area of maybe 1.5% to 2% for a word that should rank high. Other places you might consider including keywords would be in ALT tags and perhaps COMMENT tags
5.	Make Your Navigation System Search Engine Friendly.
	Some lazy webmasters use frames, but they can cause serious problems with search engines. Even if search engines can find your content pages, they'll be missing the key navigation to help visitors get to the rest of your site. JavaScript and Flash navigation buttons look great, but search engines can't follow them. Supplement them with regular HTML links at the bottom of the page, ensuring that a chain of hyperlinks exists that can get from the front page to every page in your site.
6.	Develop Several Pages Focused on Particular Keywords.
	Search Engine Optimization specialists don't recommend using doorway or gateway pages any more, since nearly duplicate WebPages might penalize you. Rather, develop several WebPages on your site, each of which is focused on a different keyword or key phrase. For example, instead of listing all your services on a single webpage, try developing a separate webpage for each. These pages will rank higher for their keywords since they contain targeted rather than general content.
7.	Submit Webpage URL to Search Engines.
	Next, submit your page to the important Web search engines that robotically index the Web. Look for a link on the search engine for "Add Your URL." The most important are: Google, Inktomi, Alta Vista, and Tehoma. They feed search content to the other main search engines and portal sites. It's a waste of money to pay someone to submit your site to hundreds of search engines. Avoid registering with FFA (Free For All pages) and other link farms. They don't work well, bring you lots of spam e-mails, and could cause you to be penalized by the search engines. We'll talk about submitting to directories under "Linking Strategies" below.
8.	Fine-tune with search engine positioning.
	Now fine-tune your focused content pages, and perhaps your home page, by making minor adjustments to help them rank high. Software allows you to check your current ranking and compare your WebPages against your top keyword competitors and Web Position's Page Critic analysis of a search engine's preferred statistics for each part of your webpage.

Links Strategies:
Links to your site bring additional traffic that is quite worth the effort. Since Google and other major search engines consider the number of incoming links to your website ("link popularity") as an important factor in ranking, more links will help you rank higher in the search engines, too. All links, however, are not created equal. Links from popular information hubs will help your site rank higher than those from low traffic sites.

9.	Submit Your Site to Key Directories.
	Be sure to list your site in the free Open Directory Project , overseen by human editors. This hierarchical directory provides content feeds to all the major search engines. Plus it provides a link to your site from an information hub that Google deems important. Yahoo! Directory is another important directory to be listed in, though their search results recently haven't been featuring their own directory as prominently. Real humans will read (and too often, pare down) your 200-character sentence, so be very careful and follow their instructions . Hint: Use somewhat less than the maximum number of characters allowable, so you don't have wordy text that will tempt the Yahoo! editor to begin chopping. Business sites now require a $299 annual recurring fee for Yahoo! Express to have your site considered for inclusion within seven business days.
10.	Submit Your Site to Industry Sites and Specialized Directories.
	You may find some directories focused on particular industries, such as education or finance. Be sure to register with these. You probably belong to various trade associations that feature member sites. Ask for a link. Even if you have to pay something for a link, it may bring you the kind of targeted traffic from an info hub that you need. Beware of directories that solicit you for "upgraded listings." Unless a directory is widely used in your field, your premium ad won't help.
11.	Request Reciprocal Links.
	Find complementary websites and request a reciprocal link to your site. Develop an out-of-the way page where you put links to other sites -- so you don't send people out the back door as fast as you bring them in the front door. Your best results will be from sites that get a similar amount of traffic to your site. High-traffic site webmasters are too busy to answer your requests for a link, and don't have anything to gain. Look for smaller sites that may have linking pages.
12.	Write Articles for Others to Use in their Newsletters.
	You can dramatically increase your visibility when you write articles in your area of expertise and distribute them to editors as free content for their e-mail newsletters. Just ask that a link to your website and a one-line description of what you offer be included with the article. This is an effective "viral" approach that can produce hundreds of links to your site over time.

Traditional Strategies:
Just because "old media" strategies aren't on the Internet doesn't mean they aren't effective. A mixed media approach can be very effective.

13.	Include Your URL on Stationery, Cards, and Literature.
	This is a no-brainer that's sometimes overlooked. Make sure that all reprints of cards, stationery, brochures, and literature contain your company's URL. And see that your printer gets the URL syntax correct.
14.	Promote using traditional media.
	Don't discontinue print advertising you've found effective. But be sure to include your URL in any display or classified ads you purchase in trade journals, newspapers, etc. View your website as an information adjunct to the ad. Use a two-step approach: (1) capture the readers' attention with the ad, (2) then refer them to a URL where they can obtain more information and perhaps place an order.
15.	Develop a Free Service.
	It's boring to invite people, "Come to our site and learn about our business." It's quite another to say "Use the free kitchen remodeling calculator available exclusively on our site." Make sure that your free service is closely related to what you are selling so the visitors you attract will be good prospects for your business. Give visitors multiple opportunities and links to cross over to the sales part of your site
16.	Issue News Releases.
	Find newsworthy events (such as launching your free service), and send news releases to print and Web periodicals in your industry. However, opening or redesigning a website is seldom newsworthy these days.

E-mail Strategies:
Don't neglect e-mail as an important way to bring people to your website. Just don't spam. That is, don't send bulk unsolicited e-mails without permission to people with whom you have no relationship..

17.	Install a "Signature" in your E-Mail Program.
	Install a "Signature" in your E-Mail Program to help potential customers get in touch with you. Most e-mail programs such as AOL, Netscape, and Outlook allow you to designate a "signature" to appear at the end of each message you send. Limit it to 6 to 8 lines: Company name, address, phone number, URL, e-mail address, and a one-phrase description of your unique business offering. Look for examples on e-mail messages sent to you.
18.	Publish an E-Mail Newsletter.
	While it's a big commitment in time, publishing a monthly or bi-monthly e-mail newsletter ("ezine") is one of the very best ways to keep in touch with your prospects, generate trust, develop brand awareness, and build future business. It also helps you collect e-mail addresses from those who visit your site but aren't yet ready to make a purchase. Ask for e-mail address and their first name so you can personalize the newsletter.
19.	Send Offers to Your Visitors and Customers.
	Your own list of customers and site visitors who have given you permission to contact them will be your most productive list. Send offers, coupon specials, product updates, etc. Personalizing the subject line and the message will increase the results.
20.	Rent targeted e-mail lists.
	We abhor "spam," bulk untargeted, unsolicited e-mail, and you'll pay a very stiff price in a ruined reputation and cancelled services if you yield to temptation here. But the direct marketing industry has developed targeted e-mail lists you can rent consisting of people who have agreed to receive commercial e-mail messages. These cost $10 to $15 per thousand, 1¢ to 30¢ per name. Do a smaller test first to determine the quality of the list.

Miscellaneous Strategies:

21..	Promote Your Site in Mailing Lists and News Groups.
	The Internet offers thousands of much targeted e-mail based discussion lists and Usenet news groups made up of people with very specialized interests.. Don't bother with news groups consisting of pure "spam." Instead, find groups where a dialog is taking place. Don't use aggressive marketing and overtly plug your product or service. Rather, add to the discussion in a helpful way and let the "signature" at the end of your e-mail message do you're marketing for you. People will gradually get to know and trust you, visit your site, and do business with you.
22.	Announce a Contest.
	People like getting something free. If you publicize a contest or drawing available on your site, you'll generate more traffic than normal. Make sure your sweepstakes rules are legal in all states and countries you are targeting. Prizes should be designed to attract individuals who fit a demographic profile describing your best customers.
23.	Ask Visitors to Bookmark Your Site.
	It seems so simple, but make sure you ask visitors to bookmark your site.
24.	Exchange Ads with Complementary Businesses.
	Banner exchange programs don't work well these days. But consider exchanging e-mail newsletter ads with complementary businesses to reach new audiences.
25.	Devise Viral Marketing Promotion Techniques.
	So-called viral marketing uses the communication networks (and preferably the resources) of your site visitors or customers to spread the word about your site exponentially. Word-of-mouth, PR, creating "buzz," and network marketing are offline models. #12 above, "Write Articles for Others to Use in their Newsletters" is a viral approach. The classic example is the free e-mail service, hotmail.com, which includes a tagline about their service at the end of every message, sent out, so friends tell friends, who tell friends.

Paid Advertising Strategies:
None of the approaches described above is "free," since each takes time and energy. But if you want to grow your business more rapidly, there comes a point when you need to pay for increased traffic. Advertising is sold in one of three ways: (1) traditional CPM (cost per thousand views), (2) pay per click (PPC), and (3) pay per action, otherwise known as an affiliate program or lead generation program. Do some small tests first to determine response, and then calculate your return on investment (ROI) before spending large amounts. Here are some methods:

26.	Buy a Text Ad in an E-Mail Newsletter.
	Some of the best buys are small text ads in e-mail newsletters targeted at audiences likely to be interested in your products or services. Many small publishers aren't sophisticated about advertising and offer attractive rates.
27.	Begin an Affiliate Program.
	Essentially, a retailer's affiliate program pays a commission to other sites whose links to the retailer result in an actual sale. The goal is to build a network of affiliates who have a financial stake in promoting your site. If you're a merchant you, need to (1) determine the commission you are willing to pay (consider it your advertising cost), (2) select a company to set up the technical details of your program, and (3) promote your program to get the right kind of affiliates who will link to your site.
28.	Purchase Pay Per Click (PPC) ads .
	The top ads appear as featured links at the top of search engine results for your keywords in many search engines. Your ranking is determined by how much you've bid for a particular search word compared to other businesses. This can be a cost-effective way to get targeted traffic, since you only pay when someone actually clicks on the link.
29.	List Your Products with Shopping Comparison Bots and Auction Sites.
	Shopping bots compare your products and prices to others.