Window Cleaning magazine Marketing your business

Marketing your business

ONLINE

Window Cleaning magazine (Special supplement)

contents

Introduction

2

Why the Internet is good for business

3

Promoting your business on the Internet

5

Top 10 ways to attract more customers online

10

Planning and building a website for your business

12

Getting your website designed and hosted

14

Generating traffic to your website

20

Social media marketing

22

Other ways to promote your business and website

25

Useful resources

26

Marketing your business online Copyright © Mike Henderson All rights reserved

2

Introduction

Why the Internet is good for business As most of us have come to realise, over the last decade the internet has had a huge impact on the way new and established businesses use their advertising budget to promote their brand and services. Millions of people now prefer to look up a service online. It's quick and easy, and they know they can find more detailed information about a company online than they are ever likely to find through searching the Yellow Pages.

If, for example, someone is using Google to look for a window cleaning service in a specific

area, a business that has a strong online presence and is located in that area will have the potential to gain a new customer.

If your company is listed in one of the big online business directories such as FreeIndex or Yell.com, that's a good start. But in order to make it easier for someone to find out more

about your business, while at the same time being able to contact you any time of day (including out of office hours) it's essential to have a website.

Of course, if you have a website but it's difficult to find then you won't receive many visitors.

There's little point in having a website that doesn't get any 'traffic'. For this reason it's

important your site can be found, either through one or more of the leading business directories, or better still, via the search engines such as Google.

If using a search engine (the three big ones are Google, Yahoo and Bing), the ideal situation would be to find your website listed on the first page of the search results, or at the very

least the second page. That's because very few people will look beyond the first two pages unless they are seeking specialised information.

A website that has been effectively 'optimised' can help your site achieve a prominent listing for the most appropriate 'keywords'. These are the words, or combination of words which

are used when someone types into a search box to make a search. Let's say that someone types into Google 'window cleaner Leeds', the results on the first page are likely to be a

3

mixture of sponsored ads, Google +/local business page listings, business directories and websites that have been efficiently optimised. A first page listing is the 'Holy Grail' of website owners.

If truth be known, it's getting harder and harder to get a high ranking position with just

basic SEO (search engine optimisation), especially in Google. The top places for the most popular keywords that people type in are often dominated by sponsored ads, Google+ pages

and business directories. But it is still possible to get up there with a well optimised website,

especially if your site is designed to target areas which are less populated, and where the competition is less fierce. Of course, there is always going to be other businesses trying to compete with yours.

The higher position your website appears in the search results, the more chance you have of someone visiting your site. The internet is not a 'magic bullet' though. Even a high search engine listing cannot guarantee lots of visitors or new customers clamouring for your services. You have to be realistic. There are only so many people within a given area that will be seeking a window cleaner each day. But for those who are, your business could be

the one to capture those 'hot prospects'. Especially if you know how to use the power of online marketing.

Even if you're a newcomer and have limited knowledge of the internet, keep reading this

guide and you'll learn all you need to know to make an informed decision as to whether marketing online is good for your business.

The truth is, if you don't think the internet will affect your business in the long term, then

think again. The days when everyone will simply look up a service on their mobile phone or through their ‘Smart’ TV set will soon be with us. Scouring through a printed phone

directory will soon be a thing of the past. Any business that relies on advertising to get new customers should seriously consider how they can get their business online. And the sooner the better.

4

Marketing your business online

Promoting your business on the Internet It's not absolutely essential to have a website to attract customers to your business via the

internet. But there are huge benefits which will certainly outweigh any savings in cost by not having one.

You could perhaps simply set up a facebook page, then a business page and spend your time interacting with other users and try to get them to 'like' your business. Maybe even

generate some nice comments and testimonials. But apart from being quite time consuming,

as a window cleaner it's unlikely to generate a lot of new business. That's not to say that it won't be useful, it has it's merits. Twitter too. Both these social media platforms are

immensely popular and are often used to communicate to friends and aquaintences the occasional recommendation about a product or service they have used. So they do have their place and shouldn't be ignored. But as a service provider you would do better focusing

your efforts on making sure that people who are actually seeking out a service like yours

can find your business easily online. After all, as I said, these are 'hot' prospects. For this purpose, a good, well placed website will be your best promotional tool.

There are lots of ways to get people to visit your website. Some are free and some are not. Both can be used to maximise visitor rates.

Google 'AdWords' is one of the paid options. These are the 'sponsored ads' that you see

appearing at the top of the page and down the right column of the search results in Google. Yahoo also has them too. But they can work out quite expensive, especially if you don't

keep a tight reign on your budget and track results. Basically, you only pay when someone

clicks on your Ad, but depending on your Ad campaign and the keywords you are using,

you can either end up with a good ROI (return on investment) or a poor ROI which can quickly eat into your profits. There are definite advantages though. You can reach a lot of

people quickly and monitor results within hours of placing your Ads. This is great if you want to test the waters first before committing too much of your advertising spend.

5


However, a website that has succeeded in reaching a strong position in the search results for important keyword search phrases will still be much more cost effective..

Although AdWords has it's advantages, there are some disadvantages too. As with any other form of advertising, whether online or offline, your adverts will only appear as long as you

keep paying for them. On the other hand, a well optimised website with a good position in the ‘organic’ search results can be a much more long term proposition, and could save

you thousands in advertising fees. Therefore, choosing a good web designer who is also

fully aware of what’s required to implement the most effective SEO will be a huge advantage when planning your online marketing . They can advise you on which are the best keywords to use, and help your website gain a prominent position in the search results.

With possibly hundreds of businesses similar to yours competing to get to the top of Google,

and only a handful of listings displayed on the first page, achieving a top place position is not easy. Google AdWords can be a quick way to start generating leads to a new website almost immediately.

To put things into perspective, a recent study revealed that almost 60% of people making a search on Google clicked on the top 3 listed sites, with less than 15% bothering to look

further than the first page. Even the top sponsored ad only achieves a mere 8% of the clicks. As a web designer I always aim to design an attractive website for my client, but I also know that it's important to get my client’s website to rank highly for the most relevant

keywords related to their business. The potential value to a business for a first page listing can be enormous and add hundreds, or even thousands of pounds of additional revenue to the business each year.

Unfortunately, due to a poor understanding of how the search engines work, many business

owners are quite happy to leave the design of their websites in the hands of someone who can produce a half decent looking website, but has limited knowledge of how it can achieve a good position in the search results. For this reason, a lot of specialist SEO firms have

6


sprung up to take advantage of this lack of knowledge by providing a service which will

boost a website’s ranking. However, they can easily charge thousands of pounds a year for this type of service, and many of them do not produce the results they claim. When they

'guarantee' that they can get your website listed on the first page of the search results, they are most likely using Google AdWords to advertise your site using the advertising money

you pay them, less their expenses for providing their service (which can be substantial). This is something you can do yourself with a little research and common sense. That's not to say that all SEO specialists are conmen, some are very good at what they do and provide

an excellent service. The problem is, it's not easy to tell who is the real expert and who is just giving you a load of b.s.

Aside from using AdWords, Google also provide free listings for certain types of busineses.

These are called ‘Google Places’. A service business which has a local profile on Google Places (now listed as Google+) will benefit the most because Google displays these type of search results relevant to the area that the search is coming from. For example, let’s say

someone simply types ‘window cleaner’ into the search box, Google will try to match it’s Google+ page listings to the geographic location of where the search is coming from. On

the other hand, if someone types in ‘window cleaner Leeds’ then Google will display the businesses that are registered and located in that specific area, no matter where the search is being made from.

If your business is not registered with Google Places then the chance of getting noticed for

the most popular search terms such as ‘window cleaner (your area)’ is only going to get harder in the main search results. This is because many of the first page listings are being dominated by up to 7 Google+ place pages.

Various factors also affect the order in which a business is listed. So it's important that before your competitors leave you behind, make sure you get your Google Place business page and Google+ profile page set up as soon as possible. When your listing starts to show up, you can then seek further advice on how to get a good position in the listings.

7


Here’s a quick outline of the procedure for registering your business with Google Places. Remember, Google does not charge for this service.

Go to http://www.google.co.uk/places and register your business. During the registration process you will be asked for your company details. i.e. business name, address, phone and

fax numbers, email and website address etc., plus a few other relevant details to categorise your business. You can then claim and 'Add your listing' via the submission button.

To verify your listing you will be given a PIN verification number. In certain cases this can be quickly provided through an instant callback, so be ready to answer the phone with the number you provide them with. Alternatively, you may have to wait to receive it by post but this may take a couple of weeks or more before it arrives.

Once you have received and entered your PIN correctly to verify you are the business owner your listing will appear on Google Places and Google Maps. This in itself can mean a first page position, depending on the search term entered.

Getting your own Google Place/Google+ page is great exposure for your business, but results are limited to a narrow range of keyword searches which only cover the area your business is located in. If you want to attract customers in other areas then you seriously need to get your website ‘optimised’ for better results.

Apart from having a well performing website, getting listed in Google Places, advertising

with AdWords, and building recommendations through social media, what other avenues are there for marketing your business and services online?

Well, you could start a blog and keep customers and prospects up to date with new services. (Adding a blog to your website is actually a good way to help generate more traffic and build up new business in areas that your basic website may not be reaching)

Participating in forums can also be useful in building new contacts. The Cleanitup forum

is the biggest UK forum for window cleaners and cleaning companies. If you're not already registered then you can check out the forum at www.cleanitup.co.uk

8


The leading networking website for business professionals LinkedIn.co.uk is also a great

place for making contacts with influential decision makers. LinkedIn has more than 200 million members, with a large proportion of it's users based in Europe.

One purpose of the site is to allow registered users to build and maintain contact details of

people whom they have some level of relationship with, which they call 'connections'. Users can invite anyone (whether a site user or not) to become a ‘connection’. This can be very useful in forging contacts with other companies. Though 'spamming' countless prospects

is likely to get your account restricted or closed, so be discerning in who you choose to contact.

One of the best ways to build up a client base is to build a mailing list. If your business needs

to keep customers informed about special offers or new services that you are making available, then having a mailing list is practically essential.

Video marketing can also be very effective in getting your business noticed. Well made promotional videos can often achieve exposure on the first page of Google for specific keyword search phrases. As a promotional tool they can be a good way to impress commercial clients.

Actually, there are many other ways to promote your business and website online. This

guide just covers some of the main options, but there are other avenues you may wish to

explore. The best place to do your research is online. Use Google to learn more about SEO, backlinking, Adwords, press releases, social media, blogging and list building etc.

It's worth remembering that the internet is constantly changing and evolving. Social media for example has only exploded in popularity over the last few years. Who knows what new possibilities are just beyond the horizon. Your own company TV channel perhaps?

9


Top 10 ways to attract more customers online Here’s a list of the top ten ways I believe will help you gain more customers online. 1. Get a website for your business. You will need to register a domain name as well as have a website designed. It's advisable to always register the domain name yourself to avoid any

complications, e.g. if you decide to sell your website or change the company who deals with your web hosting. Avoid purchasing web hosting when you buy a domain name though. You may get tied in with extra services that you may not want to use. A good web designer

can advise you further on this. Make sure that your web designer also has a good track record of SEO and enough knowledge to ensure that your website is optimised with the

best keyword phrases relating to your business, and the area you are serving. Be aware of exactly what keywords you want your website to be found for.

2. Get a mobile website for your business. If your budget allows for it, a mobile website will make it easier for mobile users to view your web pages. Some websites are designed to

be 'responsive' to the type of device that the viewer is using to look at them. A standalone

mobile website will be just as good if you already have a website and can easily be linked to from your main website and vice versa. A separate mobile site will also give you extra

opportunities to get ranked in the search results. Register a .mobi domain for this purpose

as these are likely to become more popular in the future. However, they are not essential. You can still have a mobile site hosted on your existing domain, separate from the main site. People using tablets by the way should have no problem viewing ordinary websites.

3. Claim, verify, and update your Google Place ‘Local’ business listing to ensure your business and the type of service you provide gets listed for the area you’re located in. This is extremely important if you want to have any chance of reaching the first page for

important search terms. Google Places also work in conjunction with Google+ pages where

people can review your service, so be sure to set up a Google+ page and add a link on your website to the page, plus a link back from your Google page to your website.

10


4. Set up a Facebook business page and work towards engaging people who may show an

interest in your product or service. Link to your Facebook business page from your website and allow visitors to your site to 'like' and share information about your services.

5. Create a list in Twitter and follow profiles of industry experts you know and trust. Use Twitter to tweet about any new services you provide and interesting news that may generate new enquiries by linking to your website or blog.

6. You can start a blog to stimulate further interest in your company. You can use a free service such as Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. Better still, add a blog to your website. This can be as simple as adding a news page telling people about new services you provide or

new areas that you are expanding into. Ensure that keywords are used in the headings of your posts and page names. Ask your web designer for more advice on this.

7. Advertise using Google AdWords. Learn to be selective in choosing the right keywords

for your advertising campaigns. Keep strict control over your budget and test your ads to see which ones provide the best return on your investment.

8. Join forums relating to your industry. Join in with conversations that will help others perceive you to be an expert. Useful contacts can be made this way and forums provide

excellent places to help you expand your knowledge in your chosen profession. Specialised blogs can also offer a similar experience.

9. Get listed in the leading internet business directories including FreeIndex.co.uk, Yell.com, as well as local business directories that offer business listings targeted towards the area you seek business from. A simple search in Google will help you find the local directories. Make sure that your contact details are correct and always updated if they ever change.

10. Register with Linked In. Start making contacts with industry related professionals. Make your profile interesting and give clear information about your skills and what your company provides in the form of services and products.

11


Planning and building a website for your business The first thing you need to consider when planning a website is to decide what your website domain name should be. It may seem obvious to some that the domain name should be the

same as your company name. However, business names that match your company name may not always be available for registration. They may have already been registered by another company with the same name. This is a common problem due to the fact that tens

of millions of domain names have already been registered, so finding a suitable domain

name is not always as simple and straightforward as you might think. Besides, registering a company name is not always the best way to generate new business. If, for example you run a window cleaning business in London, a highly sought after domain name might be

www.windowcleanerlondon.co.uk because it actually consists of some of the most highly searched for keywords.

Exact match domains (EMD's) using the most popular keywords are very popular and can

be hard to come by for precisely this reason. However, unless your website has been well

established for a reasonable length of time, and it doesn't consist of 'thin' or 'duplicate' content, the chance of getting an EMD high up in the search results are getting smaller

every day, because Google is diminishing their importance. This applies even more so if you're trying to gain traffic to your website from an area outside where your business is actually located.

Even though the best keyword domains are being snapped up, domain names consisting of

'long tail' keywords are still a viable option. 'Long tail' keywords are basically keywords combined together to make a four or five word phrase that is designed to match what people

type in when they make a search. When 'long tail' keyword search phrases are used the purpose is to try and capture the fewer, but still highly targeted prospects that are seeking specific information. For example, instead of typing in a search for 'window cleaner London'

a person seeking a window cleaning service might type in 'commercial window cleaning

London' and get a different set of results. If a website is optimised for this phrase, or

12


using these keywords in it’s domain name, then it has a greater chance of exposure than it would have competing against much more popular search terms.

The cost of a registering a business domain name at present costs around £7 - £8 for a .co.uk name. A .com domain will roughly cost around double this.

Registration is usually for one or two years, after which it needs to be renewed, though you can register them for longer if you want to.

It's important to keep the registrar updated with any change of email address on your account so that they can still contact you and send you a reminder when the domain name

is due for renewal. Failure to renew can easily result in loss of your domain name, and consequently your website will no longer be accessible.

The result of choosing the right domain name can be very rewarding. Although a .com

domain name extension is still the most sought after TLD (Top Level Domain), registering

a .co.uk extension for companies and organisations in the UK will be more appropriate and just as effective. There are other alternatives that can be used if the domain name you want is no longer available. Other domain extensions include .biz .info and .com.uk, but they

generally don't do as well in the search results, so where possible always go for a .co.uk or .com name first.

Two companies I recommend for registering a domain name are www.lcn.com and

www.123-reg.co.uk. Both provide a wide range of top level domain name options at very competitive prices.

Domain name registration companies may also try to persuade you to sign up for web

hosting and email services as well, but these can be arranged separately at a later date, and even with a different company, so it pays to discuss this with your web designer first to get the best combination of services to meet your needs.

13


Getting your website designed and hosted Your website is a vital component in the successful branding and marketing of your

business. Get it wrong and it can cost you a lot of money. You could spend thousands of pounds on a beautifully designed website, but if it doesn't perform well in the search results, or if you fail to attract visitors in other ways, then it will be money down the drain.

A website that brings you business doesn't necessarily need to win any awards for design,

but at the same time it doesn't want to look like the kid next door made it for you. Ideally,

you want a web designer who has a reasonable knowledge of the industry you are involved in, and be able to provide a fast and efficient service at a reasonable price. They also need to have a good working knowledge of SEO.

To be sure that you get the best service, it pays to understand a little about what makes a

successful website rank well. I have already touched upon the subject of search engine optimisation. To give you a little bit more information about what helps a website succeed, here's a few tips to enlighten you.

Always make sure that the most appropriate keywords are used in the page title, the meta description tag and the content of your site. The meta description tag is part of the hidden

code that makes up the web page. Search engines often use this in the description of a website listing. This can be seen just under the title of the listing. You can view the meta

description tag using your browser (e.g. in the menu of Internet Explorer there is an option called 'view source code')

As previously stated. keywords in the domain name can also be very effective, but you

shouldn't rely totally on these methods alone to get your site on to the first page. Good SEO (search engine optimisation) for your website will go a long way to achieve a high listing, but there are other methods to consider as well, which are outlined later in this section.

When a visitor arrives at your website, they basically already know the type of information they are looking for, but if it's not immediately accessible, or they can't figure out how to

14


navigate your site to find the information they need, then your website is not doing it's job correctly. It's more important to figure out what the visitor will want to see and read, than have lots of pictures that make your site look nice and pretty, even if you personally think

it looks like the best thing since sliced bread. Put yourself into the mind of the visitor and ask yourself 'how can I find the information that I want?’ Then make it easy for them to find

it. Also, make it easy for them to be able to contact you if they need further information.

Make sure your contact telephone numbers are clearly visible on every page. Your email address or contact form should also be easy to find too.

Using a company name and logo on the top of each page will also help people quickly identify who they are dealing with when they visit your site. A professionally designed logo will help your company brand stand out. And if you're a member of a professional association, make sure this is made obvious by adding their logo in a prominent place. This can instil a sense of trust within people, as will any testimonials you can provide from satisfied customers.

It's also a good idea to use the same colour scheme used on your business stationery and other related advertising material and incorporate them into the design of your website as well. Do you use the same colours in your business logo, work uniforms and on your vehicles

or vehicle signage? If so, it will strengthen your brand and people's perception of your company as being orderly and professional.

Your website will also need to be easy to navigate around. Make sure that the main page links appear on every page so that visitors can easily return to the homepage or contact page, and also any other page that provides important information.

Remember, the purpose of your website is to make it easy to find relevant information that

a visitor will need to know about to make an informed decision as to whether your company

provides the service they are looking for. This will mainly relate to the type of services offered, the sense of reliability and professionalism you can project, and also your pricing.

15


Researching keywords is essential during the planning stage of your website. Choosing the

right keywords to focus on will make the difference between being highly ranked for the most appropriate search terms, or being lost in cyberspace where nobody ever finds you.

To make your research easier there's a number of useful keyword research tools available,

which can be a great help in selecting the best keywords for your site. You generally have

to pay for the best ones but if your website is only a few pages in size then you only need to use the free tools such as Google's own keyword tool which is very good.

A business email address is also important and should ideally match your website domain.

These are simple to set up and are readily available when you set up a web hosting account. A business email address will also create a good impression with customers, and may be one of the first means of communication they are exposed to through advertising. It also makes it easier for the customer to remember your company.

If necessary, you can set up multiple email addresses based on the same domain.

For example, [email protected], [email protected],

[email protected] etc. or even the use of a personal name such as [email protected].

This makes it easier for customers to reach the right person within your business. For a website to appear on the internet it has to have a home where it can reside and always

be available for a visit. This means your website will need to be 'hosted' on a web server

which has a permanent connection to the internet and housed in a secure location. A web server is basically a powerful computer with massive storage availablity and a program that helps deliver the content stored on it's hard drive.

A web hosting company can provide the facilities that enable you to display your website to anyone who wishes to view it. This is achieved by the hosting company using powerful

servers with lots of web space. (Think in terms of massive storage space many times greater

16


than your computer’s hard drive) This is where the web pages of many websites reside. They

are secure and password protected so that nothing can be uploaded on to them except by

those authorised to do so. The web pages can then be downloaded and viewed by anyone connected to the internet using a browser such as Internet Explorer.

But how do you find a web hosting company, and which one should you choose to get the best service?

As with many commercial products and services, when you look more closely you will find

that you are faced with a bewildering variety of options that can be included or not included

in your web hosting package. So it’s important that you understand what exactly it is you’re getting when you pay for this type of service. Some of the things to consider are…. CUSTOMER SUPPORT – does the company provide a 24 hour support service if a problem arises? Look for a company that provides 24/7 customer service and technical support so that if or when there is a problem you can contact them immediately to resolve the issue.

AMOUNT OF WEB SPACE – do they provide enough space for your needs? Most sites only require a few megabytes of web space so it’s unlikely to become an issue unless your site becomes extremely large and uses lots of graphics and large files.

RELIABILITY – look for a service that guarantees a minimum of 99% uptime, which means that your site will rarely, if ever, be unavailable for access to your visitors. (On rare occasions servers may be down for maintenance but a good web host provider will have back-up facilities in place)

DATA TRANSFER – this is often referred to as bandwidth and describes the amount of

information that can be downloaded over a period of time. Always check to see how much

monthly bandwidth is allocated with each hosting plan. Most websites will never reach the maximum allowed even on the most basic plan. But if your site ever becomes hugely popular

17


with thousands of daily visitors then the bandwidth soon gets eaten up. If this ever happens you could always upgrade to one that allows more bandwidth.

EMAIL, POP3, MAIL FORWARDING AND AUTORESPONDERS – a good web hosting

company will provide these with your hosting account. You should be able to have the facility to set up a number of email addresses for your chosen domain name, either as a

mailbox or as a redirect to an existing email address you already use. Also, the ability to be able to set up an automated reply message using an autoresponder is a very useful feature.

SSL, MySQL, ECOMMERCE – some web hosting plans enable you to set up a secure server (SSL) for keeping customer information and accepting credit card details via a shopping

cart for electronic transactions (ecommerce) MySQL is also necessary where a database is

required. Obviously these kind of features cost more but are mostly essential if you intend to sell goods from your website.

PERL, CGI scripting, FTP access – these are features that a webmaster may use in the design and management of your site. PERL-CGI scripting enables you to include interactive features such as contact forms, visitor counters, forums and guestbooks. FTP access allows you to

transfer your website pages and associated files such as graphics and audio files, to your web space using an FTP program.

CONTROL PANEL – a control panel will allow you to log in to check your website stats (see

how many visitors your site is receiving, how long they stay and where they are coming

from), as well as other useful tasks such as adding, deleting, and managing your email addresses, setting up autoresponder messages, mail redirects and so on. You might also be

able to keep tabs on your bandwidth usage, change passwords for your account and carry out various other tasks which you may find useful in the management of your website account.

There are a number of very good web hosting companies out there, but there are also some

poor ones. First of all, don’t even consider using free web space. As you would expect, there

18


are too many drawbacks to this type of service. If you want to project a professional image for your business or organisation then you must use a good web space provider, which, as you would expect, you will have to pay for.

The good news is, the best web hosting companies offer a variety of web hosting solutions that cater for all types of needs. With prices that suit all pockets.

Being a web designer, I'm in a good position to provide a professional business web hosting

service to my clients as part of my service. This means the client doesn’t have to be concerned about the technical aspects or setting up hosting. Some people however, prefer to handle these things themselves.

If you prefer to design and publish your own website then there are a number of good web hosting companies I can recommend as a good place to host your own site.

(My contact details can be found in the resource section at the end of the guide)

19


Generating traffic to your website Once your website has been built and ready to go 'live' the next step is to publish it and get your site indexed with the search engines.

The leading search engines, such as Google, Bing and Yahoo!, use web crawlers to find web pages for their search results. A web crawler (sometimes referred to as a spider bot)

is a computer program that scours the web for content and regularly updates new content

when it finds it. Any new web pages will then be indexed accordingly. Web crawlers may assess a number of different factors when crawling a website. They don't always index

every page, and the distance of a web page from the root directory can be a deciding factor as to whether a page gets crawled or not.

Updating content regularly, which entices search engines to call back often, can give

additional weight to a site. This is one reason why I recommend utilising a blog which will 'ping' the search engines to let them know when your site has had new content added.

Adding relevant keywords to a web page's meta data, including the title tag and meta description, will help the search engines understand your website better and improve the relevancy of a site's search listing. These methods are considered as 'white hat' techniques,

designed to improve a website's ranking position. They are totally acceptable ways of trying to influence the search results. 'Black hat' techniques on the other hand are disapproved

of by the search engines because they are often used to promote sites with poor content, or sites aimed at promoting products through affiliate links.

Keyword stuffing, invisible text, doorway pages etc., is considered 'black hat' and can have

a negative effect on your site if discovered, so these techniques are not to be recommended. The search engines are continually fighting against these underhanded methods and may penalise sites that use them, either by reducing their rankings or eliminating their listing altogether from their databases.

20


Correctly implemented SEO can produce good ‘organic’ rankings and therefore are a good return on investment. However, companies such as Google do not generate income from

'organic' search traffic. The algorithms used in the operation of their search engines can change over time, so there are no guarantees of continued traffic. A company that has a

website should not rely totally on the search engines to provide a continual stream of visitors as this can easily result in loss of business if your website drops off the first few pages.

Search engines can change their algorithms at short notice. In 2010, it's been estimated that Google made over 500 algorithm changes.

Implementing a well prepared marketing strategy can help you get your business in front

of potential customers who need your service, which is the main goal of any online marketing campaign. However, it's considered wise business practice for website operators to liberate themselves from total dependence on search engine traffic alone. So what other alternatives are there? Well, there are many ways to generate traffic to a website. Some of the main methods

include referral links, (backlinks from other websites, blogs, social media sites and directories) Backlinks are simply another term used to describe incoming links, or 'inbound' links, to a specific web page, most often the homepage.

Prior to the emergence of search engines, links between websites were the primary means of web navigation. In the past, directories were one of the main resources on the internet

for finding websites, but the web has changed significantly and expanded on an immense

scale. Backlinks are still an important means of driving traffic though. And in fact, search

engines such as Google use backlinks as an indicating factor that the websites that they point to are a good relevant source of information. However, recently Google (the World's leading search engine) has changed the way it assesses the quality of backlinks because a large proportion of backlinks were simply being set up to boost the rankings of websites

of dubious quality. Now, only good quality backlinks from other highly ranked websites have any real significance in affecting the rankings of other websites.

21


Social media marketing Social media sites have gradually made a significant impact in recent times with the advent of user generated content and instant interaction. This has forced many business website owners to re-think how they communicate with their audience.

Social networking sites such as Facebook can help individuals and businesses to develop a

dialogue with other users in the network. This can have a huge impact on many types of

business. For example, a user may spread positive messages such as recommending a certain product or service to friends in their network. Sometimes these messages become viral and

reach thousands of people. Before you commit yourself however, you need to decide whether these kind of promotional tactics will benefit your type of business. After all, an opposite reaction may occur if someone is not happy with your product or service.

Micro blogging with Twitter can also provide similar opportunities. A ‘tweet’ can be sent

to all of your followers instantly, making it very useful to communicate with people and keep them updated with new information such as special offers etc. A 'Tweeter' can run into problems however, if the service is overused or misused to spam other users. As a

consequence this can have a damaging effect on customer relations. So proper etiquette must be observed when using this service as a marketing medium.

Press releases Online press releases can be a good way to create a 'buzz' about your business. If you launch

a new service, re-design your site, or provide some kind of special offer, then send out a

press release to the relevant news sites and blogs. You may be surprised at how effective this can be at generating fresh interest in your company.

Email marketing Email marketing is another promotional method of gaining new business and repeat business. Building a list of email addresses is a relatively cheap method of getting your

22


product or service in front of your target audience. Subscribers to your email list will expect

you to send them special offers and updates about your services. A good email list can be worth it's weight in Gold when used correctly. Many long established businesses are built and expanded on the back of repeat customers..

Blogging A blog added to your website will make it easier to update your site's content on a regular basis. It will also build more inbound and outbound links and increase your website's importance in the eyes of the search engines. Commenting on blogs and responding to

visitors’ comments on your own blog will help build relationships with potential customers and business contacts.

YouTube YouTube is one of the most trafficked sites online and a well produced promotional video

can be a great way to build targeted traffic to your website and help people become aware

of your business. It can also help build credibility for your company and enforce your professional status in the eyes of consumers.

LinkedIn LinkedIn is the leading business networking website where users can make contacts with

other professionals. Once you have registered with LinkedIn you can create a company profile, separate from your personal background details. You can then set up a page that

details information about your company and what services you provide. Interested parties can then contact you for more information. This is especially useful if you're dealing with other companies that are seeking to use other professionals and the services they provide. If you offer commercial work then this is a good place to promote your business.

With Linked In you can also use the 'recommendations' function by asking clients to provide testimonials. These will be listed under your company information and are a good way to

23


attract more clients. You can also set up a targeted advertising campaign using LinkedIn 'DirectAds' https://www.linkedin.com/ads/

Based on geography, these ads can reach other influential business professionals and decision makers on LinkedIn and all you need is a LinkedIn account.

And finally, with regards to online advertising, don't forget to get your business listed in the main online business directories and any specialised directory that relates to your

industry. Some of them are listed at the end of this guide. For window cleaners the first port of call should be the Window Cleaner Directory which you can find online at www.windowcleanerdirectory.co.uk

It’s also important to get listed in local business directories because these are often the first place people look for a service business covering their area. This way they can be sure they are dealing with a local business.

24


Other ways to promote your business and website Online marketing is all well and good, but lets not forget there are still opportunities to promote your services offline too.

Despite falling sales there is still a large audience out there buying newspapers, magazines and trade papers. If you book any press advertising always ask them if they can add some

free online advertising on their website as well. It may already be part of the package but you will need to confirm this first. If it isn't then ask them to include it as well. They may

say no, but some will agree in order to get your business. Also, never take the first price you are quoted without negotiating. Some media sales teams allow themselves room to negotiate in price.

As well as advertising in publications, don't forget that having your email address and

website address printed on your business cards, leaflets and other related stationery can also send interested parties to your website.

If none of these promotional methods provide you with the response you are hoping for then you can always resort to canvassing for business as well. This is one of the best ways

to build up and expand a window cleaning business fast. It may not be the ideal solution for those who hate knocking on doors, but its a method well worth exploring.

A well prepared canvassing strategy can be the most effective way of all for drumming up new business and expanding an existing business. And its not as difficult as you might think. I recommend you check out an ebook entitled 'Marketing for Window Cleaners'

It's a well thought out guide that provides some excellent tips and advice that can help you expand your customer base rapidly. You can find more information about the guide at www.windowcleaningmarketingguide.co.uk

25

Marketing your business online Useful resources Website design & hosting www.studioarts-dtv.co.uk Domain name registrars www.123-reg.co.uk www.lcn.com Google Places http://www.google.co.uk/places Google AdWords www.google.co.uk/AdWords Business directories www.yell.com www.freeindex.co.uk Search engine news www.searchenginenews.com Networking www.uk.linkedin.com twitter.com www.facebook.com

26

Marketing your business online Window cleaner directory www.windowcleanerdirectory.co.uk Window cleaning marketing guide www.windowcleaningmarketingguide.co.uk Window cleaning news www.windowcleaningmagazine.co.uk Window cleaning tips www.windowcleaningresources.co.uk Window cleaning rounds for sale www.windowcleaningroundforsale.co.uk Window cleaning equipment www.windowcleaningwarehouse.co.uk www.windowcleancentre.co.uk Window cleaning forums www.cleanitup.co.uk www.cleaningforums.co.uk www.windowcleaningforums.co.uk

Special offer - for Window Cleaning Magazine readers *Mobile website for your business for under £60 (includes 12 months web hosting) Contact Mike at www.studioarts-dtv.co.uk

27

Marketing your business online Copyright © Mike Henderson All rights reserved