Internet Marketing and Web Strategy Services

Marketing your business successfully on the Internet requires much more than just a website.  In order to achieve your goals, you need a presence.  You need to be visible and you need be found through the channels by which your prospective customers and clients are seeking the products and services that you provide.

This requires a specific set of actions, and those tactics that are employed to execute your strategies vary from one situation to another.  No two marketing plans are exactly the same.  From Search Engine Optimization (SEO), to Social Media participation, to Visitor Experience Optimization, to Pay-Per-Click, to Linkbuilding and all the other techniques associated with marketing a business online, there are a variety of factors that need to be examined before a proper strategy can be developed.

This is where I come in.

The research process varies from client to client, but generally the Internet Marketing campaign will focus on directing targeted traffic to the site in order to generate leads and sales.  This will usually include analysis of both organic and paid methods of driving visitors to the site.  Due to the varying degree to which many competing sites are established in the search engine results, the standard practices of Search Engine Optimization may not be enough to achieve a favorable rank on the popular search engines.  Other organic traffic methods  may need to be examined in order to determine the best, most cost effective course of action of driving targeted traffic to the site and increasing sales and leads for your business.

The process begins with deep analysis of industry keyword searches related to the industry in which you wish to compete.

While the initial list of keyword phrases searched on this topic are probably obvious, the research process will include analysis of keywords that are standard in the industry, which will lead to uncovering the many other ways that people are searching the web for products and information that are relevant to your site.  The purpose of this phase of the research process is multi-faceted.  The main benefit is the knowledge gained as to how the target audience is searching on Google to find what they’re looking for.  Another outcome from the keyword research is the fact the hidden opportunities will be uncovered in the respect that there are lesser known keyword phrases that people are querying.  They are valuable despite the fact that they are usually considerably lower in search volume that the more obvious phrases, since they are also usually less competitive than higher volume phrases.

After all keyword research has been completed, the competitor identification phase of the research process begins.  The most prevalent sites and pages that appear in the search results for the phrases you’re seeking are analyzed thoroughly to determine what it is that they are doing to achieve the results they are, as well as for any weaknesses in their strategy that may be exploitable.  Another benefit of this is the fact that many other sites of value are also uncovered.  Article sites, blogs, directories, etc. are also very important to study in order to determine the best course of action to drive targeted traffic to the your website.

The research process may also includes an analysis of the existing site, in order to make suggestions for improvement.

Once all of this has been completed, the web strategy can be developed.  The development of the strategy is formatted to conform to the following principles:

Objectives are discussed and determined during the initial consultation phases of the research.  They can range from simply targeted traffic to increase leads and sales, to optimizing the site to increase donations if the client is a non-profit organization.  Once the objectives are established, strategies are developed to achieve the stated objectives.  Once the strategies have been thought through, tactics are discussed to execute the strategies.

How much does it cost?

The research phase of the project varies so much from one project to another, it is difficult to project how much the cost will be without a consultation to see what your needs and goals are.  For most projects, the research phase runs typically between $1000 and $2500, depending a variety of factors and usually takes between 4-10 weeks to complete.

After that phase is complete, if implementation of the tactics is desired, I can certainly help with that or manage it in it’s entirety.  My billable rate is $40 per hour.  Implementation is done on a monthly contract with no minimums and no long-term commitments.

Blog Design Services

One of the most intimidating things about the whole idea of creating a blog is getting started.  There are numerous decisions that need to be made – all of which are equally important to the overall quality of the finished product (See this post for detailed suggestions on how to get started blogging).

Your blog is your brand.  In many respects most people will get to know you through interactions with your blog.  For that reason, the appearance and functionality of your site is critical to the success you wish to achieve.

Setting up a self-hosted blog for the first time can be a daunting and intimidating experience.  After setting up and designing several blogs (including this one*) for both myself and various professionals, I know what a harrowing experience it can be the first time few times you go through the process. It is for this reason that I have decided to offer my services professionally.

*To see what the original template for this site looked like before I customized it, click here (opens in a new window for side by side comparison).

Rates are as follows:

To schedule a consultation for discussing your blogging needs, or if you have any questions at all, feel free to contact me or friend me up on Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin.