Owner: Advanced Marketing Techniques URL:http://www.xeal.com/blog/ Join Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:45:40 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Get the latest tips and tricks in Internet Marketing and Publicity from Tony D. Baker, president and founder of Xeal Inc. Tony is Oklahoma’s leading Internet marketing expert with over 10 years of Internet marketing experience. As an author and public spe Site statistics:Click here
Are You Delivering High ROI for Your Online Customers? 2007-08-23 10:45:44 http://www.xeal.com
If you run a Google search for "ROI," you'll hit a number of articles and sites that tell you how to figure out your website ROI, your advertising ROI, your press release ROI, you name it. After all, it's your ROI that's most important, right? You need to know that you're getting value for the money you're putting into your business.
Well, so do your customers. Whether you market to business clients or end users, every one of your customers invests their hard-earned money in your product or service. They all want to see a return for that investment, whether they measure that by profit margin or personal satisfaction.
When they visit your site, you need to give them more than just a product or service. You need to understand what they're hoping to get out of your business, and expand on that. Tailoring your product or service for the highest client ROI will have prospects lining up to do business with you.
Step 1: Know their goals.
Hopefully you asked
5 Ways to Optimize Your Website for Universal Search 2007-08-15 12:17:57 http://www.xeal.com
The way Google handles search is changing. You may not have heard of universal search yet, but it is going to affect the way your website and your company show up in search engine results, at least for Google. You may have noticed that pictures, videos and even press releases are showing up alongside websites in regular search engine results.
You need to develop a strategy to meet these changing search conditions, and that means optimizing more than just your website landing page. Images, videos and articles are all parts of your site that could be working harder for your company. Here are five tips to help universal search work for you.
Stop the presses
Make sure your press releases and company news are getting into Google News and Yahoo News. If you're not doing press releases, you should seriously consider it. Press releases will give you one more chance of showing up in the search engine results beyond your web page. Press releases also give people looki Read more:Universal
, Search
07/07/07 - Feeling Lucky? - Discover the Skills, Techniques and Strategies the Experts Use to Consistently Win the Internet Marketing Game 2007-06-20 20:22:08 http://www.Xeal.com/
07/07/07 - Feeling
Lucky?
Discover
the Skills
, Techniques and Strategies
the Experts
Use to Consistently Win the InternetMarketing
Game
Join Tony D. Baker, CEO of Xeal Precision Marketing in Las Vegas for a once in a lifetime opportunity on what is heralded as the world’s luckiest day, 07/07/07.
Whether you have hit the winning combination for your online marketing strategy or not, this will be your lucky night. Get an ace up your sleeve with insider tips from a 10-year industry expert.
Join us for Refreshments and Cocktails Saturday Night 07/07/07. Network with like-minded entrepreneurs and internet marketers. Join in on a discussion of the latest internet marketing strategies, techniques, and the release of David Meerman Scott’s latest book “The New Rules of Marketing and PR.”
Simply RSVP to (RSVP at XEAL.COM) and you will receive specific information and parking instructions the night before. Fellow Entrepreneurs, Internet M
Must Read: The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott 2007-06-14 19:33:11 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470113456?ie=UTF8&tag=dreamstar-20
David
Meerman Scott
's new book "The New Rules
of Marketing
and PR" is a must read for anybody serious about marketing their business in a Web 2.0 world.
I will go into more details in a future blog, but for now I believe the book speaks for itself. Check out the reviews on Amazon.com and be sure to listen to my candid audio interview with David Meerman Scott here:
http://www.Xeal.com/download/audio/scott-baker.mp3
If you buy this book between now and June 30, 2007, I have some special offers for you.
Please note that David Meerman Scott has not asked me to make any offer. I just believe very strongly in the message of this book, so strongly that I am willing to offer a special discount to people who help spread the news about this amazing book.
Buy 1 copy of "The New Rules of Marketing and PR" through the following link (preferred - or any other link) and receive a free “sponsored” listing
Google Adwords for Free? YES, and I’ll show you FREE 2007-06-13 17:33:24 http://www.xeal.com/smartsem.htm
Have you seen all of the emails about this great new way to get GoogleAdwords
for free? The emails start out talking about how some guy made over 300 million dollars from 87 million dollars in free Google ads.
Who wouldn’t buy a $67 report with that kind of headline? Especially since many of us spend not only hundreds, but thousands of dollars a month with Google.
Several people are advertising this program under such keyword phrases as:
Free Google Ads
Free Pay Per Click Ads
Get Google Adwords
Ads Free
Google Ads Free
Here we have an email and pay per click campaign which seems like all the “top” internet marketers are sending out. The email is well crafted and leads to a landing page full of testimonials, screen shots, and even a picture of a multi-million dollar mansion.
Now if the mansion doesn’t throw up a red flag (considering that all of the get rich quick infomercials use such tactics) then the following ph
Six Vital Questions Every Web Site Owner Should Be Asking 2007-03-27 17:11:06 http://www.xeal.com/1000
1: Open up your web browser and go to your web site and answer the following questions.
Q: Does your web site compel you to take an action?
Q: Are you immediately inspired, within 10 seconds or less, to enter into a defined and strategically thought-out selling process?
Q: Does your web site answer “What’s in it for me?” to the person who is visiting your site?
If you answered NO to any of the above questions, then please keep reading.
2: When a person finds your site through a search engine listing or a paid search engine advertisement, it’s most likely that they’re clicking to your site to answer a question within a conversation going on in their head.
Q: Does the “landing page” that the person enters on answer their question in 10 seconds or less? Or at least allude to the fact that you have the answer they seek?
Q: Are they encouraged to take an action (sign up to a mailing list, download a spec Read more:Vital
, Owner
, Web Site
Xeal Features Interview with Joey Bilota of Edukick.com 2007-03-21 16:14:03 http://www.edukick.com
A couple of weeks ago I featured this interview with Joey Bilota of Edukick Inc. on my radio show on Tulsa’s Talk Radio 1170KFAQ.
I was recently asked to re-broadcast the complete interview right here on the Xeal blog.
Now that I’m in my 30’s I often think back to “coulda, woulda, shoulda” days and remember my fondness of playing goalie for my first grade soccer team.
Who knows where I would have been today if I would have pursued my soccer career beyond my 7th birthday. Of course, I love what I’m doing today, but you often have to wonder… “what if?”
Likewise, I still have a desire to learn Spanish, as I don’t understand what a third of the world is saying these days.
Edukick Inc. seems to have answered both of those callings for today’s young people. As professionals, soccer fanatics and fathers, Joseph Bilotta and Corey Zimmerman wanted to create a program that maximized the EduKi
Internet Marketing Success with Print Design? 2007-02-21 18:02:38 http://www.xeal.com/print-design.htm
Print
Design is often overlooked by Internet
Marketers. However, when print design is used correctly, the results are extremely powerful.
Print pieces, such as business cards, tri-fold brochures, and postcards give people that physical element to help them connect to your business. Plus, there's nothing like a personal touch to help cement a business relationship.
How often have you been embarrassed by having to tell someone that they need to write your name and phone number or email and website address on the back of a napkin, simply because you don't have professionally produced business cards?
How often have you been embarrassed to hand out "Plain Jane" raised-letter one-color business cards obviously printed out at the local Wal-Mart, or worse yet some perforated cardboard cookie-cutter design printed off of your pc?
How often have you been invited to attend a workshop, seminar, or asked to set up a quick booth at the last Read more:Marketing
, Success
, Internet Marketing
Review of The New Rules of PR - Podcast Transcript 2007-02-15 19:01:31 http://www.xeal.com/blog/index.php/2007/02/14/the_new_rules_of_pr_podcast_review
Below is a transcript of my most recent podcast which is a review of webinar and ebook "The New Rules
of PR" by David Meerman Scott.
Hi this is Tony D. Baker with Xeal Precision Marketing.
First, I’d like to thank you for listening to this podcast. Today we’re going to discuss some of the items which David Meerman Scott revealed to us during his webinar with PRWEB and of course in his ebook, “The New Rules of PR.” You can get his ebook by clicking the link at the top of PRWEB dot com or by simply visiting David’s site at web ink now dot com.
With over 150,000 downloads in its first release, "The New Rules of PR" has become a must-have guide for those looking to embrace the new reality of PR and marketing. In this webinar, Scott discusses his new eBook and offers techniques and advice on developing a press release strategy to reach buyers, as well as the media, giv Read more:Podcast
, Transcript
8 Online Press Release Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) 2007-08-27 15:32:49 http://www.xeal.com
You've heard how press releases can increase your company's exposure and raise credibility in the eyes of your clients. You've seen your competitors getting their name out there and possibly chipping away at your market share in the process. You might've even tried distributing a release here and there, hoping to catch some publicity. So far nothing has really stuck.
Chances are you're making some critical mistakes with your releases and sabotaging your own hard work. Here are eight common mistakes for online press releases, and how you can takes steps to avoid them.
1) Missing Google News and Yahoo News in your distribution efforts
These news outlets are crucial to any effective online press release distribution. With the advent of universal search, surfers are even more likely to see Google News items popping up in regular search results. Make sure your press release distribution service includes Google and Yahoo News.
2) Not including important keyw Read more:Press
, Release
, Avoid
CASE STUDY – SleepingTiger.org 2007-08-27 15:01:34 http://www.Xeal.com/topsecret.htm
The woman who said, “Yes I can, and I will.”
Imagine creating a product from scratch. This invention would have no predecessors, no existing clientele, no established audience of buyers, no credibility, no demand, and no selling technique.
Imagine creating a product, refining it, and starting a business simply because the product made you feel better, relax, and focus your thinking. Now that you’ve created such an amazing product, the next obvious step for an entrepreneur is to get that product out to the public.
That’s exactly what Laurie Desjardins did when she created the Zen Stick. The hard part came in developing an audience and a market for her invention.
Obviously in starting any business you have to develop a foundation. Desjardins has a great plan because her business is designed to support an existing charity in which she rescues tiger’s and helps them live out their days with love and joy.
However,
Blogging 101: Why Your Business Should Be Blogging 2007-09-20 17:54:32 http://www.xeal.com
When you hear the word "blog," you might think of a teenager with dyed hair and raccoon eye makeup, hunched over the keyboard typing about how her parents are so unfair for griping about her $500 cell phone bill.
Today, blogs have evolved into an established mode of publication on the Internet, and a large network of respected professionals have made their mark through blogs. Bloggers work in just about every niche you could think of. TV show crew members blog to give fans a glimpse behind the scenes. Many companies have blogs where employees can give thoughts, opinion, tips and advice on industry news.
Like anything else in business, blogs require a clear strategy. They need to be updated on a regular basis, daily at best, a few times a week at the least. You'll need to make sure you have timely information that is interesting to your target audience. That means that you'll need somebody at your company, or a few different somebodies, who have time to res Read more:Business
, Blogging
Media Relations 101: Can the Press Reach You? 2007-09-20 17:39:14 http://www.xeal.com
If you want to gain publicity for your company, your webpage and your company need to be accessible to the press. You may be the perfect interview subject for the story they’re working on. But if your website doesn’t provide an easy way to reach you quickly, they will turn to your competition for those expert insights.
By making your contact information impossible to find, or eliminating it altogether, you're severely limiting your chances of reporters being able to find you.
A few crucial elements need to be included in every company website. Information about your company, products, and services you offer logically make the cut. Testimonials, company history and a mission statement are also obvious additions.
Above all these, one of the most important pieces of information is up-to-date contact information. Yes, the idea of putting an actual email address on your website may send visions of a spam-filled inbox dancing in your head. And there Read more:Relations
, Press
, Reach
Rising to the Top - Building an Internet Marketing Strategy 2007-09-19 14:21:31 http://www.xeal.com
"Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending." - Saint Augustine
It’s funny how old words can still mean so much today. Just think about this: in the days of St. Augustine, 354 AD to 430 AD, there were no microwaves or computers, and the vastness of the Internet
did not exist. And yet even today his words I quoted above apply not only to each and every one of us as a person, but to just about any goal we may wish to undertake.
Saint Augustine goes on to tell us that if we wish to build vast towers, we must start with a deep foundation of humility. The first part alone demonstrates an extreme understanding of mathematics, and then he goes on to apply it to our humanity.
What’s the point Tony?
Well, I started the day wanting to write to you on how important it is to build a solid foundation with your Internet marketing strategy.
We all have dreams of being in the top 10 on our primary keywords. We all have dreams of receiving thousands upon thousand Read more:Rising
, Building
, Marketing
, Strategy
, Internet Marketing
5 Tips for Building Better Landing Pages 2007-09-12 16:17:19 http://www.Xeal.com
The Customer Has Landed… Now Keep Them There
Your landing page is the first thing potential customers see when they get to your site, so if you want visitors to stick around, you have to capture their attention and give a good impression. If your landing page is difficult to read, doesn’t engage the reader and entice them towards product or company, and provides no way for customers to take more action, then they'll be gone and off to your competitor's site.
If you want your landing page to start showing more conversions, here are some tips for drawing the customer in now that you've got them on the hook.
They've got problems, you've got the solution
Chances are you started your business to solve a problem that your potential customers have. You know why your product or service is the best thing on the market. With a landing page, your job is to make prospective clients understand how you are the answer to their problems. Cover as many ang Read more:Building
, Pages
Free Xeal Webinar – 25 Ways to Improve Your Website 2007-09-07 12:23:49 http://www.xeal.com/webinar.htm
We'd like to say thank you to everyone who joined us for Xeal's Free Website Evaluation Webinar last night. We enjoyed a pretty good turn out and covered several websites.
If you missed it this time around, we'll be holding a make-up Webinar on September 13 at 6:00 p.m. Central.
Tony D. Baker will be offering advice on:
- design techniques
- mistakes to avoid
- raising your search engine rankings,
- drawing customers to your website
- improving your conversions,
- marketing your website online and offline
… and much more
Register now to reserve your place. You will receive instructions Thursday, along with a link to the PDF version of our 25-point website checklist.
Mark your calendar for 2:00 p.m. September 13 to learn this critical information.
We’ll see you there! Read more:Improve
Organizing Your Site: Tips for Getting Your Website Up and Running Smoothly 2007-09-27 16:04:30 http://www.xeal.com
Getting a website set up is one of the most basic things any business has to do. You might think that it's as easy as buying a domain and hiring a tech guy to throw something up there, but that's not even the tip of the iceberg. With today's digital society, your website may very well be people's first introduction to your business, and you don't want to give them the wrong impression.
Here are a few tips making a smooth entrance online, rather than throwing a page up online for all the world to see.
Look at the competition
You probably looked at the competition in your area before you set up your business. It's important to see what the market has to offer and understand what sets you apart. Now, it's time to check out what they're doing online for the same reasons. See what you like and don't like about their pages. Compile a list of things you can adapt or do differently for your own site.
Get examples together
They say when you're decoratin Read more:Smoothly
Online Marketing Success Story: Evolve eLearning 2007-10-01 16:58:41 http://www.xeal.com
At Xeal we're always excited when our efforts pay off in the form of great publicity and exposure for our clients.
We recently worked with Evolve eLearning, a training solutions provider, to create articles related to Industrial Training.
One of our pieces was originally featured on Manufacting.net, a website that caters to manufacturing executives. Now we've secured two more publications for them in the upcoming September/October issues of Process Cleaning Magazine and Time-Compression Technologies.
Process Cleaning Magazine is the central resource for manufacturing professionals responsible for cleaning during the manufacturing process, maintenance and repair operations. This magazine aims to deliver informational articles, industry news, product features, case studies, profiles, and the best practices all around for the cleaning industry.
Time-Compression Technologies is a magazine for design and manufacturing professionals specifically seeking to Read more:Marketing
, Success
, Online Marketing
, Success Story
Social Media 101: Want to reach bloggers? Here's how. 2007-10-04 11:05:42 http://www.xeal.com
If you've considered pitching to bloggers
but haven't been sure about how to go about it, you should read this great post by Paul Stamatiou.
It's a well-written, in-depth how-to list discussing what you should and shouldn't do when trying to get your press release to bloggers. This isn't just theory either: he gives beautiful examples to back up his points. Any PR professional interested in a digital audience should take a look at this gold mine of information.
As the web expands, digital media and digital audiences have grown more niche and personalized. This is especially true of blogs.
Queries should always be narrowly targeted. But successful blog pitches take their message to a whole new level of personalization. I would even go so far as to say MORE research is required for a successful blog query than your average pitch letter.
But the results are definitely worth it. We've seen direct conversions from blog traffic -- no surprise, since the Read more:Social
, Social Media
Seven Guidelines for Website Usability 2007-10-19 11:06:23 http://www.xeal.com
You can't break the rules till you've learned the rules
Usability
, as you hopefully know, is all about making sure that the people who come to your website can find the information or product they want, and ensuring they can find it quickly, efficiently, and with minimal hair-tearing.
Unfortunately, some people just don't know the guidelines, or just don't follow them. This can lead to a lot of frustration on the part of the user, and if users are frustrated, then chances are good they won't be back to your site. Whether you're building a new site or redesigning an old one, here are a few usability tips you should be keeping in mind.
Consistency
Consistency is one of the most important aspects of usability. The page style, text style, colors and navigation should be consistent throughout your entire site. Not only does this help with usability, but it will also help with building your brand online. By using those visual cues throughout your site, peopl Read more:Seven
, Guidelines
Don't forget Today's FREE Webinar 2007-10-17 17:49:42 http://www.xeal.com/webinar.htm
Want the Xeal team to help you with your website? Sign up for our free Thursday webinars!
Xeal president Tony D. Baker will evaluate a variety of websites and offer marketing tips that can dramatically impact your business.
Get expert advice on:
- Design techniques and mistakes
- Improving your rankings
- Increasing conversions
- Drawing customers to your website
Sign up now to receive more information and our free 25-point website checklist:
We'll see you there!
October 18 (Click here to sign up)
October 25 (Click here to sign up)
November 1 (Click here to sign up) Read more:Today
Blogging 101: Eight Mistakes that Are Killing Your Blog 2007-10-16 15:02:37 http://www.xeal.com
The first year of keeping a blog is always the hardest. You're just getting into the game and you haven't quite learned all the ins and outs of playing just yet. While that's understandable, if you're making too many mistakes with your blog, you'll never have a chance to get it off the ground. Here are eight common blogging mistakes, and steps you can take to avoid them.
1) Ignoring reader comments
You don't have to respond to every single comment (especially if there are several), but if somebody makes an interesting point or asks a question, answer it. Commenting back encourages readers to start a dialogue and lets them know that you're listening to what they have to say. Ignoring them sends off the statement that you don't care about your readers' thoughts on what you've written, and they'll stop reading.
2) Straying off topic
It's easier than you'd think to start a blog post with one idea in mind, only to drift away from that to a complete Read more:Blogging
, Eight
, Killing
Article Marketing 101: Finding Your Audience 2007-10-25 17:20:39 http://www.xeal.com
Perhaps you've been thinking about getting into article marketing. It can't be that hard, can it? You just need to write up a few articles about your industry and distribute them to the masses, and the masses will come running to your website because they revere you as an expert now, right?
Ahem. If that image is in your head, get it out right now. Article
marketing is a very beneficial practice, to be sure, but it's not something you can just jump into without doing any research first.
Hey! Is anybody out there?
One fatal flaw many articles have is lack of a clear audience; that is, people who are going to be interested in what you're saying. "An audience?" you might be saying. "Well, that's easy. My customers are my audience."
True though that may be, all of your customers do not fall into the same demographic. You'll need to target your articles differently depending on if you want to talk to men or women, teenagers or parents, businesses or indi Read more:Marketing
, Audience
, Article Marketing
6 Tips for Building Your Company Brand Online 2007-10-30 16:43:41 http://www.xeal.com
Are you projecting a consistent image to your potential customers? Do they even know your name? Wal-mart, Windows, Apple; each of those names conjures an image, a logo or a product line at just the mention of their name.
You, too, want to get your name out there as a certified, reliable business. A cohesive identity allows people to associate your company with quality, speed, reliability, or your unique selling points. The Internet is a great place to get started. New technologies and growing online audiences make online marketing a very effective way to reach your customers. Here are a few ways to build a powerful image for your brand online and off.
Consider social media
Sites like MySpace and Facebook are just two of the numerous social media sites out there. Starbucks has an excellent Myspace profile that represents their company well. Their site hosts photo contests of Starbucks locations or products, and offers an easy way to forward the site to other Read more:Building
, Brand
Tips to Creating Must-Read Content for Your Blog or Newsletter 2007-11-07 14:46:16
Getting your creative juices flowing
After several months of steady blogging and regular newsletters, you may be running short on ideas. When work picks up and you're running from one project to the next, your readers usually take a backseat. Besides, when your creativity is already stretched to the limit, conjuring up ideas can seem like an impossible task.
Unfortunately, your readers may have already moved on by the time you're ready to start writing again. With new blogs and newsletters popping up daily in every industry, your competition could be taking advantage of your dry spell.
Rather than letting your blog or newsletter go for weeks or even months without updating, spark your inspiration with these simple tips:
Get to know your audience
For any publication to succeed (and yes, your blog or newsletter is a publication), it needs to deliver content readers actually care about. In order to do this, you need to come up with a reader profile. Hopefully you did this whe Read more:Creating
, Content
Napoleon Hill 2007-11-14 10:59:21 Napoleon
Hill once said "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve."
Writer's Strike or Writer's Block? 2007-11-12 18:52:43 http://ugv.abcnews.go.com/Player.aspx?id=1067666
Today I submitted the following to ABC This Week through the link in the Title.
It's not perfect, but you will get the point.
-- Tony Darrick Baker
The Writer
's Strike has caused many shows to go into re-runs. Speaking of re-runs, perhaps we should have a few demands of our own before The Writer's can return to their jobs.
#1 - No more sitcom spinoffs. When we're done watching Friends, we don't want to see what happens with Joey. It didn't work with Friends and it doesn't work with anybody else, so stop trying.
#2 - No more movie spinoffs. It seems like movie writers can't think of a creative idea of their own and neither can TV writers. Stop stealing each other's ideas. Let movies be movies and let tv shows be tv shows. Nobody wants to watch 2 hours of Family Guy and nobody wants to watch just 22 minutes of Titanic.
#3 - No... ABC... please No... please do not create a spinoff of a Geico commercial. The cavem
Article Marketing 101: Writing Your Article 2007-11-29 17:06:30
On the Internet, you are what you publish. Article
marketing is a great way to get your company's name out there by offering tips, tutorials and commentary on the state of your industry. You might be considering putting the articles on a company blog, into databases, or using them to populate your newsletter.
However, none of that will make any difference if you don't know the first steps in actually writing an article. You may think there's nothing to it, but the Internet is flooded with meandering, pointless, poorly composed drivel.
The stakes are higher for business articles than for your average blog. People will make judgments about your company based on what they read. If your articles sound unprofessional and poorly written, you might be surprised at how fast it can drive people away.
If you want to get the most into your article content, here are a few tips to give you an edge over 90 percent of the articles out there.
Consider your audience
Who are you trying Read more:Marketing
, Article Marketing
Press Release Optimization Article by Tony Darrick Baker featured in Search Marketing Standard Magazine 2007-11-27 13:02:54 http://www.searchmarketingstandard.com/
Keep an eye out for the next issue of SearchMarketingStandard
. The Winter 07/08 edition features an article by none other than Tony Darrick Baker
.
PressReleaseOptimization
, Deductive Reasoning to the Rescue
This three-page article also includes an example of a press release optimized for search engine marketing.
Special thanks go out to the Xeal PR department for helping us achieve this goal. Once again, this proves that Xeal doesn't sell anything that we wouldn't do for ourselves. If you are interested in finding out how Xeal can help you with online and offline publicity, then please visit http://www.Xeal.com/topsecret.htm Read more:Article
What to Look for When Hiring a Blogger 2007-12-18 16:14:43
Whether you've decided to select a blogger within your company, or are outsourcing to a freelancer, the issue remains that you still have to actually pick a blogger. You've got to choose somebody who's going to be personable and honest, with a unique perspective on your company and, of course, the ability to string a sentence together.
But don't fret. Like any other job opening, it's just the matter of finding the right person. Here are some things to look for when you're hiring a blog writer.
Personable
Imagine walking in to a store and the first salesperson you see greets you formally. They answer questions if you ask, but seem kind of aloof and cold. They don't go out of their way to help you find things, nor do they seem interested in making sure you get exactly what you're looking for. Is this the kind of person you'd be interested in buying from again?
Now, imagine you walk into a store and the salesperson greets you enthusiastically with a "Hey! How ya doing Read more:Blogger
, Hiring
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