The Most Versatile Free Website Solution Today

If you are a fan of DIY projects, especially when it comes to building a website, you may have come across a variety of applications. Some are free but too limited on features, while others are paid but are versatile and easy to use. Isn’t it great if there is a solution that is free, versatile, and easy to use today?

In fact, there is a solution. It’s called WordPress.

Originally built for blogging, WordPress has come a long way. Many people use WordPress as a content management system where users can post articles, videos, or just about any content. Some individuals learned how to build a simple website using WordPress, even with little to no website building knowledge.

Granted, some people debate on its versatility and ease of use, especially when some technical know-how is needed. On the other hand, many online communities out there are willing to help at no cost as long as you ask.

What makes WordPress versatile is its ability to customize. You can input your own “header” graphic at the top of the site, change the appearance (or skin) of the website – the sky’s the limit. You also have many free design themes so you won’t have to create one of your own.

If you feel like having someone else create a WordPress site for you, there are even website design services to help with that. All it takes is a little effort to find the one who has what you seek.

Read more »

Important Questions to Ask When Hiring a Reliable Social Media Expert

Hiring a social media marketing consultant is one of the best decisions you can make for your company. Their job is to promote your business by raising brand awareness and bringing attention to your company's reputation.

With the rise of social media today, it's only right to hire a professional. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and other social media websites are no longer used leisurely, but to aid businesses as well.

Types of Social Media Marketers

1. Self-Proclaimed Experts: These are the people who manage to get tons on followers on their social media accounts, even without professional experience.

2. Agencies That Shift Their Focus to Social Media: These firms are just beginning to focus on social media marketing because of the rising trend. It's their attempt to keep up with the pace.

3. Actual Experts: These companies specialize in social media marketing and have mastered the approach to using this tool to help other companies prosper.

Questions to Ask Potential Hires

1. What is your area of expertise?

2. Are you familiar with my industry?

3. What social media techniques are ideal for my business?

4. Where can I find your previous work and names of the clients you've worked for?

5. How successful are your social media markets?

6. How do you measure ROI?

7. What are your payment terms?

Those are just a few of the many things you can ask social media marketers. When seeking a professional, be sure to ask these questions so you know what you know what the service entails.

Read more »

Managing PPC: Because Mistakes can Still Happen

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is one of the most popular online marketing tools today, primarily because it is simple and reasonably effective at attracting “hits”. However, since PPC relies solely on keyword groups, this also means that it is quite easy for PPC to fail, especially if the wrong keywords are used. This is just one mistake that PPC management services try to avert -- one in a huge laundry list.

The other most glaring problem with PPC is that some people rely on it entirely, disregarding the fact that PPC is meant to be used in tandem with other marketing tools like search engine optimization (SEO). In fact, it’s almost as if SEO is mandatory for PPC, because it is the former’s job to come up with correct, effective, and relevant keywords that the latter will use. Incidentally, SEO can also identify the wrong keywords that PPC shouldn’t use. For example, a company that sells snow gear should use “skis”, “snow shoes”, “winter wear”, and the like as keywords, as opposed to “snow cones”, “snowballs”, and “frostbite”.

There is also the common mistake of scheduling PPC ads so that they don’t appear in the evening or in weekends (probably to reduce marketing costs). This is understandable, although a PPC management tool can be used to identify “traffic peaks” on any given day so that the ads would appear in these time periods, as opposed to have them strictly following a schedule. 

Read more »

Managing Your Reputation despite Negative Reviews

Reputation management is a public relations term that focuses on influencing an individual or group about a person’s or a company’s character. With the prevalence of social media and Internet usage, reputation management has become primarily an issue of influencing search engine results and monitoring social media activity. Known as online reputation management (ORM), this dynamic form of internet marketing can help suppress negative complaints and content online, and give positive content a more prominent place in search engine results pages (SERPs).

ORM is no longer the exclusive reserve of multi-billion dollar corporations, celebrities, athletes, and politicians, as even ordinary citizens and small and medium-sized businesses have become victims of libel. In other words, a dynamic ORM strategy needs to be incorporated into a company's internet marketing strategy to build a coherent brand image and engage with the target audience.

More than 78 percent of Internet users state that they perform research online before they decide to invest in a product or service. Additionally, 80 percent say that they have decided not to purchase a product or service from a particular company after browsing negative reviews online. If companies do not manage their online reputation, they could lose prospective clients and revenue.

An effective online reputation management strategy will boost a business's online visibility. This ensures that only SERPs with excellent reviews and content are what Internet users see, while damaging or libelous reviews and content can be discreetly pushed down SERP rankings. 

Read more »