Atilus Internet Marketing & Web Development

Amidst internal office discussions, as we love to keep the watering hole occupied, Pay Per Click marketing became a topic of discussion- as it often does.

I had a thought, “The constant changing of the Google PPC algorithms has refined the process to a science. Does that mean individuals who participated in early stage PPC marketing, who failed to achieve the results promised at the time, would be discouraged in pursuing modern day strategic PPC campaigning?”

Many things have changed over the years, making PPC internet marketing subsequently far more precise, effective, and cost efficient. However, the unfortunate early pioneers who dared to dabble before its refinement period may have produced a permanent bad taste on their marketing pallets.

I am here to challenge those pioneers to smell a coffee bean and pop a Mentos because it simply doesn’t get any better than PPC! There may have been a time in which thousands of your dollars were dumped on text ads that were loosely and arbitrarily placed based on erratic, weak, simplistic, easily manipulated and ill thought out algorithms, but Google has since dumped millions of their own into creating arguably the greatest method for todays big and small businesses alike to capture the consuming audience in the emotional buying moment, as quickly as they ask for it by simply running a textual search query. And the arsenal of tools offered by Google and the like to maximize ROI are only growing and getting increasingly more effective.

So put that cigarette out, cap the whiskey, stop feeling sorry for the past, and put on that suit that you once wore to take on the business world at large and get back in the internet marketing game. The game just got fun again.

This ain’t yo Daddy’s PPC anymore, son!

10 Jul | Post by Scott L. Clark. Filed under Internet Marketing, Pay Per Click.

I know internet marketing is still very mysterious, difficult to comprehend and often easy for marketers to hide behind fraudulent or misleading web analytic reports and false promises, which ultimately lead to zero delivery.

It sucks. I know. But I’m here to help…

Here is a list of the 5 questions you ABSOLUTELY should be asking your Pay Per Click marketer before signing into a business relationship:

Read the rest of this entry …

18 Jun | Post by Scott L. Clark. Filed under AdWords, Pay Per Click.

With the arrival of the next great internet boom – the internet marketing boom - the possibilities are limitless. The internet is exploding with new features and technologies such as interactive shopping, podcasting as well as newly emerging E-marketing tools and ideas. Among these new features are WiFi advertising (advertising to users of your WIFI network), and Internet capabilities on wireless phones such as 3G (AT&T’s network).

For those of you not in the industry, internet marketing is the buzz in the advertising and marketing world. With ever changing technology and improved techniques, and a now solid foundation of return, internet marketing is slowly coming to the forefront of marketing discussions.
And this internet revolution is even outpacing newer, less conventional forms of marketing and sales. Take for example traveling on any major airline. E-ticketing is available 24 hours a day and is convenient (whereas if you call the 800 or 888 number, you will be billed a transaction fee); you can print your ticket(s) 48 hours before the flight or 1 hour before the flight, at no additional cost attached.
I think that it is important that the advantages and disadvantages are carefully studied in contrast to traditional marketing. But that doesn’t mean the industry is without its evils. Issues that are still prevalent in and around internet marketing include: spam (which needs to be more heavily regulated), consumer loyalty (which needs to be studied more), and the different advertising strategies and performance that internet marketing has over traditional marketing.

However, one of the largest concerns of the general public is security and privacy on the internet. For example, if you read my previous post “Flirting with Diaster”, the attached You Tube video has a prime example of this: When Sarah Lacy asked the audience to begin asking their questions, an audience member stood up and said “What is the biggest obstacle that Facebook faces?” Zuckerberg replied “Building systems that allow users control of their applications/information.” The audience member replied, “Is it a security issue allowing users to control of their applications/information?” See how security is reiterated each time the audience member asks a different question? I have to say, it is a major concern of the general public, and must be addressed.

On the other hand, Internet marketing has truly revolutionized the marketing industry as a whole; traditional advertising and marketing firms better sit up and take notice and quickly adapt to the to the ever changing internet/technology as the general public consumes more media, does more searches, and spends more time online. Additionally one major advantage that internet marketing has that stands out ahead of traditional advertising is that with internet marketing you are able to customize and personalize your site from start to finish, making the process interactive between the internet marketing agency/firm and the client. And these custom solutions are growing the internet eco-system. For example, custom interactive shopping has revolutionized the way the general public shops, while improving the online shopping experience.

With that said, do you think internet marketing will revolutionize traditional marketing? You be the judge.

09 May | Post by Zach Katkin. Filed under Business, Clients, Internet Marketing, Pay Per Click, Search Engine Optimization, Tech Trends, Web Design.

I love PPC. I also love music. Put them together and what do you get? Beats and Rhymes by Chuck Lewis - The Poetic Prophet. Scott first found this, but he only discussed SEO! This talented musician breaks down internet marketing especially PPC into basic segments. You can check him out on You Tube where he’s known as the SEO Rapper.

I came across this gifted project coordinator/marketing specialist, singer/songwriter in a marketing e-mail. He has a number of videos that inform and entertain covering topics such as Design Coding, Link Building, Conversion Closing even Social Media Addiction. I especially like Paid Search 101, “Check the cpc, that’s the cost per click. Make a judgement call, is it worth that hit? If it is then keep it, if it’s not then delete it. Stay within your budget, that’s not a big secret. Track your results, reporting is critical and set your goals right, be Google Analytical.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c96LTLlaXew.

The SEO Rapper takes complex concepts and tells a story. Set in a format anyone can understand, PPC is not so overwhelming. It’s fun, it’s got a good beat and you can dance to it.

22 Apr | Post by Meaghan McCann. Filed under AdWords, Pay Per Click.

In the first corner, standing 5′6, 360 lbs, blind in one eye and wearing a knee brace is the 78 year old former heavy weight champion of the world conventional OFFLINE marketing!

And in the second corner, standing a proud 6′2, a solid 225 lbs, is the fresh, fit, 22 year old undefeated light heavy weight champion of the world ONLINE Internet marketing!!

Hmmm… doesn’t sound like much of a fight, but I’d stick around for the finish. It’s gonna be quick.

Read the rest of this entry …

16 Apr | Post by Scott L. Clark. Filed under Internet Marketing, Pay Per Click, SEO, Search Engine Optimization, Uncategorized.

As an internet professional, I often take my knowledge for granted. So I have taken the liberty of expressing some random thoughts that I have about internet marketing that upset me on a personal and business level…

The 7 “YOU MUST KNOW’S” of Internet marketing:

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08 Apr | Post by Scott L. Clark. Filed under Email Newsletter, Internet Marketing, Pay Per Click, SEO, Search Engine Optimization, Web Basics, Web Design.

The Upper Left Corner

Without fail, in my efforts to stay professionally developed, there is always an A-ha moment where I bonk myself on the forehead with the heel of my hand and wonder how I forgot what I’d just re-learned.

The most recent moment came while attending a webinar on paid search. The speaker, David Szetela of Clix Marketing, was discussing the importance of quickly getting the message to the visitor that your site is where they need to be. The best way to do this is to reiterate search terms (key words) on the landing page.

The best position in which to do this is the upper left corner. Eureka! There it is.

Most of us are targeting left-to-right readers. We don’t start reading in the middle of the page, so why do we insist on putting headlines front and center? It looks pretty. Well, pretty don’t pay the bills. We typically have less than ten seconds to capture attention and persuade prospects to take the next step.

The same principal that applies to the lot upon which your home is built also applies to virtual real estate; location, location, location. Next is content. Internet marketers can greatly increase their click-through-rate and in turn conversion rates if the first thing searchers see (location) is material relevant to their search (content). To maximize the probability that the visitor will read a whole headline and act on it, include search terms. If a visitor sees what was searched for immediately then he’ll be more likely to spend time exploring your site and purchase your product or service.

Which is the whole point.

A-ha.

31 Mar | Post by Meaghan McCann. Filed under AdWords, Internet Marketing, Pay Per Click.

I read an interesting email newsletter this afternoon by Google AdWords Expert, Perry Marshall. The article, revolving around the quality of Google and Google’s “weird” practice of not publishing any old ad, or allowing any old keyterm - effectively not gobbling every advertisers dollar was addressed:

Sometimes people get mad at Google ‘cuz they won’t just take their money and run the ads they write. Worse yet, they won’t even tell you WHY. Maddening, isn’t it? Dave Bullock explains why, like this:

“People should think of Google as being their first customer. People search Google because they trust it. Your ad on their search engine is an endorsement, and you’re borrowing their identity.”

The fact that the whole world trusts Google - and the true meaning and cause of that trust - is somewhat overlooked in all the hoopla about their juggernaut success.

People talk about Google’s skyrocketing stock values and Page Rank Formulas and the birth from fledgling lab project at Stanford, and the geek culture and the free 5-star lunches in the employee cafeteria.

But not too many people really ask, why does the world trust Google? When someone wants to know something, why is the first place they think of looking, Google? Why is Google a verb?

Because Google is the most accurate available representation of what human beings consider important and valuable on the Internet.

Google isn’t just a directory of information, a vast resource of knowledge, it is “the most accurate available represenatation of what human beings consider important and valuable on the Internet;” and your business listing - either organic or paid is a tremendous quality and branding boost. In past generations people turned to the yellow pages for that same vote of confidence - albeit without the complicated algorithims. The more you paid the larger your ad. The closer your name to the beginning of the alphabet the higher up your listing. A listing in the local yellow pages ment you were a legitimate local business. But, we have since moved to a digital era, with the new global yellow pages - search engines. No longer is the placement of your website, business, listing or ad based solely on your name and amount you are willing to pay, but now they are based on quality - a fact that many people may not know, a fact your audience may not know, a fact that you may not know, but it is a fact everyone have inevitably realized through their use and research online. Your company name in the search engine is an immediate - and global - vote of confidence in your service (no matter how local your business or how targeted or wide your services).

Where are you in the search engines?

05 Mar | Post by Zach Katkin. Filed under AdWords, Pay Per Click, SEO, Search Engine Optimization.

I was on a conference call yesterday when it dawned on me that, at our core, we are an Internet Lead Generation service.

There are a number of steps, and hurdles we go through with and for clients, but at the very end, our bottom line, relates to your bottom line - Internet Lead Generation.

There are four major phases or legs to a complete Internet Lead Generation package:

• Planning (of the website, development, and industry)
• Development
• Maintenance
• Marketing

These 4 steps are holistic. Planning is perhaps the most important phase, but often the most neglected. In truth any web development company can build an awesome website without knowing too much about you as a client.

What colors do you like, what text will go where, etc.?

As long as the site isn’t too complicated the initial design and development of a site can be done without much planning. But, without knowledge of your industry, a web development company can’t implement the right terms into the text and properly optimize your site. Without planning and a deeper understanding of you we can’t code the site properly for long-term search engine success and both the developer and the client will be left hanging after the initial creation of the site - what next? The planning phase is a guide for the entire process. Planning ensures that everyone is on the same page through the different stages of completion and sets a standard for success.

Development, after planned properly and thoroughly, is a simple process. With an end in mind a good team of programmers, designers, and writers, can generate a successful web presence.

Maintenance, the third step to Internet lead generation is very important. You must use your website as the tool it was developed to be, without updates, additional text, news & events, etc. it becomes stale - and even with proactive marketing - can fall short of your goals.

Finally, the fourth step, marketing is important to the overall success of the lead generation potential of your website. Without updates, and proactive marketing, the likelihood that people will stumble upon your site is pretty slim. Much like any business you need to get your website out there, talk about it, network, participate in blogs and communities, advertise, etc.

Keeping these four steps in mind you should have no problem turning your website into a valuable Internet Lead Generation tool.

29 Feb | Post by Zach Katkin. Filed under AdWords, Internet Marketing, Pay Per Click, SEO, Search Engine Optimization.

I was surfing the Internet this morning when I stumbled upon an old colleague’s blog, Tropical Web Works. The posts, authored by Sonja Ray, haven’t been updated in a little while, but there is still some great information buried within.

The post that most intrigued me was “Eight Tips Every Adwords Advertiser Should Know.” It contained some great basic steps that every advertiser should follow including:

• Organization
• Opt-Out Content Network
• Exclude Myspace.com
• No Search Network

Exclude myspace?!

I had never heard that before. Although by default if you do opt-out of the content network you have no fear of being included on myspace, if you don’t take this crucial step you may be included on Myspace. Why would anyone want to do this? Why would you want to take the time to alienate or eliminate a huge base of eyes to get your product in front of? Sonja makes a great point:

When myspace.com started carrying Google ads, thousands of advertisers were suddenly hit with huge advertising bills because of all the kids on myspace who click-click-click willy-nilly on everything they see, with no intention of buying anything

This seems to support our own observations. The advertising and medium must support the audience. Although Myspace is a great potential source for advertising (either with adwords or some other tool), its young, advertising savvy base is often not fooled or enticed by advertising, and, their familiarity with the system sometimes leads to them hurting advertisers (false clicks).

25 Sep | Post by Zach Katkin. Filed under AdWords, Blogging, Pay Per Click.