Web Marketing for Dummies Written by Jan Zimmerman Reviewed by Paige Petersen

What this book covers... Prepare your plans Draw them in Direct Mail (21 st century style) Improve search engine rankings Be a smart shopper Keep it legal Tease them with technology Analyze

Web Marketing Essentials Do your plans fit the needs and interests of your target audience? What is your target market? Define them. Do your plans make financial sense? Are your plans within your capabilities to execute?

Setting goals for your website Provide customer service Transforming your business Branding your company, product or service Generating revenue through advertising Generating leads or qualifying prospects

Preparing an online business plan Brief Summary Description of business (type of business and goals) Description of product or service Competition (online and offline) Marketing (target market, need, objective, methods, and promotion) Sales plan (pricing, distribution channels, order fulfillment) Operations (facilities, staffing, inventory, and key players) Financial data (financing, financial projections, legal issues)

What your site MUST accomplish Catching the visitors attention (design) Getting the visitors to stick around (content) –Gear the site to your visitors interests (stickiness) –Play games with page names

Developing Content **People dont read online, they SCAN!** Grab readers with headlines Stay above the fold Avoid long/scrolling pages Limit use of PDF files Use active voice and stay informal Use bullet lists and include text links Check spelling & grammar Tell stories with pictures Use content that updates/changes automatically (quotes)

Building a human-friendly site The brain is meant for recognition, not recall The brain likes the number 7 (7 seconds is the limit for short term memory) Contrast helps the mind organize information Brains like patterns Users need reassurance Click actions reinforce a message Provide on-site search so users can find info quickly Make your site accessible Master usability issues before you launch/re-launch

Rolling out e-newsletters More targeted the better Entice the subscriber, be honest, emphasize your brand, use small photos, provide relevant content Decide on timing a frequency Include a link to opt-out or unsubscribe Include your companys contact information

Google AdWords Bid is not based solely on amount you are willing to pay (Quality Score) Good ad with good click-through-rate and a good landing page = Your ad in the top 4 Can select time of day, delivery (evenly or accelerated), position preference, and geographical targets

10 free ways to market your website Put your URL on all stationery and packaging Include your URL in your signature block Use calls to action in your text Collect customer testimonials & post as new content Submit to three top search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN) Conduct a link campaign Tell a friend Take advantage of free Google and Yahoo local services Submit your site to Google.com/products Deliver a newsletter through Yahoo! or Google groups

The 10 Most Common Mistakes of Web Marketing Not setting business goals Not planning Underestimating the time and money it will take Not building a search-engine-friendly website Thinking about me rather than you Not updating your site Waiting for traffic to click in the door Ignoring statistics Avoiding problems with the back office Being unwilling to change

Pros Easy to understand Well organized Glossary of terms Icons Lists of important information Websites to visit for more information

Cons Some suggestions were too technical (use web developer) Marketing for an online store

Overall...Id give it 4/5 stars! Questions??