Business Blogging

Sign Up Now - Muncie Lunch and Learn - March 5th

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 by Bruce McClain

Do you ever wonder about search engine optimization and how to improve your Web site's ranking? Have you heard about Pay-Per-Click campaigns, but are not sure how they work? Are you you unsure what people are talking about when they mention organic search? Well, join us next week at our Muncie office for an informative "Lunch and Learn."

After we have some lunch, I will try and answer all those questions for you plus many more. We will talk a little about Business Blogging, SEO, and how to incorporate winning search into your web based strategy.

We have made it very easy to sign up. Just click on the link below, fill out a few questions and you are good to go.

We look forward to seeing you next Friday, March 5 at the Rutter Communications building in Muncie from 11:30am-1:00pm.

It's Not the CMS That Counts; It's How You Use It!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

Inevitably in this business, I get pulled into the never-ending debate on what is the best content management system (CMS). I get asked which are best for search engine opimization, social media community integration and flexibility. Every website design or website development company has their preferred CMS they design and implement for. Some of these are proprietary, but most are likely third-party provided. At Fusework Studios, we have a proprietary software, but there are some cases in which we go with third-party integration.

Almost all content management systems now have tools for search engine optimization and other tools to complement your web based strategy. A company can spend from nearly no money to thousands of dollars for the top-of-the-line CMS. Unfortunately, all that money will do no good without a keyword and search marketing strategy behind your content.

Tips to utilize your CMS' capabilities:

Title your pages with keywords in mind
Use keywords in your links
Use keywords early in your content (first or second paragraph)
Use keywords in header tags
Create inbound marketing by generating buzz or links to your content (preferrably with keywords) by utilizing your social media community tools
Utilize business blogging to drive traffic to your site

For a successful web based strategy, you cannot rely solely on one marketing medium. All of the tools around the web, including your CMS, play an integral role in Internet marketing.

Contact Fusework Studios for tips or if you have questions regarding search engine optimization and your content management system.

The Importance of Keywording Comments in Your Corporate Blog

Thursday, February 4, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

You've taken the plunge in setting up your corporate blog. Business blogging is new to you, and you're starting to put out content that is attracting both new and existing customers. Then, something happens that you may not have planned for--you start getting comments.

Search engines love comments on blogs. The blog post and page shows that it has been updated with new content (user-generated) and tells the world that your blog is active.

When responding to your readers (which you should do soon after you get a comment), it is important to keep in mind in how you relay your valuable input. It is good practice to attempt to include some keywords in your response to further encourage search engines that the topic of your post has continued in the direction you originally intended, and the new content of the post is related to what their customers are searching for.

If you have questions about comments or maintaining your corporate blog, feel free to post a comment for me. I'll be glad to help!

Is Your Corporate Blog Designed to Win Search?

Friday, January 29, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

As a leader in your industry, you may be very involved in business blogging. Your corporate blog may be very active, and you have a nice following of readers that are glued to what you have to say. The question is, what is your goal with your corporate blog? Are you using business blogging to win over search engines, or are you only trying to communicate with your clientele without any real goals to increase your traffic?

Many businesses (Fusework Studios is not so different) try to write regularly in their corporate blog and try to always deliver a message that will floor their readers. They want to provide something that will create "light bulb moments" for their readers to win them over immediately.

We are beginning to find that is not always important. Sometimes what is important is you deliver a quick message that focuses on a service, product or perhaps another client, that is focused on keywords. These keywords and frequent posts will win you search while still telling a story. We are challenging ourselves and our clients to write about subjects that matter, so don't worry if your next post doesn't move mountains.

Fusework Studios Launches Web Site for IU Kokomo

Thursday, January 21, 2010 by Nellie Stout

Original article by Indiana University Kokomo: http://www.iuk.edu/news/?naid=19&ncid=.

Kokomo, Ind. - Indiana University Kokomo has launched a new and improved Web site, www.iuk.edu, featuring easier navigation, online video, vibrant flash images, and socia media integration.

"The new site will allow us to share IU Kokomo in a more engaging and dynamic way. It brings with it a content management system that allows us to better manage updates and changes, as well as the ability to implement analytics that measure site usage and give us the tools to make constant improvements that better serve our users," said Katrina Janes, director of the Office of Communications and Marketing at IU Kokomo. "The redesign and launch of a new university Web site is a huge undertaking, and we are very excited to unveil this new Web presence to the students, campus and community that we serve."

The site, developed by Indianapolis-based Fusework Studios, provides easier navigation for the user, improved search functions, and a consistent look, design, and feel. The first step in the redesign was an audit of the old Web site that included an evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. This evaluation enforced the need for IU Kokomo to clearly indentify and match target audiences with specific marketing objectives, as well as the need to transform the site from a static information source to a dynamic and engaging marketing tool.

This direction is supported by a recent TeensTALK®survey of high school sophomores which found that 74 percent of the respondents conducted general college research on the Web, and 67 percent visited a specific college Web site. It is clear that higher education institutions are positioning their Web sites as a primary marketing tool and relying more on electronic communication tools. The average Web user today is highly skilled and able to communicate through many technological formats, from text messaging to IM to Twitter. This is particularly true for prospective and current college students.

"This was a huge project and encompassed two years from vendor selection to launch. Every unit on campus participated," said Paul Nowak, vice chancellor for external relations. "A special recognition is due to our marketing and IT departments, and especially Rudy Kizer, our campus Web manager, and Katrina Janes."

Indiana University Kokomo serves a seven county, primary service area in north central Indiana. The campus offers more than 40 academic programs including four graduate degrees.
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Fusework Studios provides service in Business Blogging, IT Services, SEO Indianapolis, Indiana Website Design, Indiana Website Development, Web Based Strategy, Social Media Marketing, Indiana Video Production, Email Marketing Strategy, Corporate Blog, Internet Marketing Indianapolis, and much more.

The next phase in Indianapolis Web development: Part 2

Thursday, January 14, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

Previously, I discussed how Indianapolis web development has changed, and I provided a theory on what the next trend will become. I talked about how business blogging and social media community interaction has become the latest trend in providing relevant information to customers. Now we will see search engine marketing at the forefront in how web development is approached for businesses.

Search is even more important than before.

Customers have been using search to find goods and services rather than looking for specific businesses. While it is important for your business to be visible (e.g. Fusework Studios) in the search engines, it is even more important that your business is found for specific keywords based on your goods and services.

The next phase in Indianapolis web development will be about playing an integral role in search engine marketing and finding ways to get new content out and fast for what customers are looking for. Search engines are looking for sites and blogs that update often and have relevant content to what their users are searching for. It's not about "if you build it, they will come" anymore.

Early on in web development, it was about telling your story -- the whole story. Unfortunately, this requires time and money to be able to put all that work together. When print marketing is put together, it is customary to hand out a brochure, poster or some form of quick communication about the product or service. I recommend you actually follow suit for initial website release, and over time, you can add the additional content you probably would have initially included before.

The reason is Google and other major search engines value up-to-date content. New content is very important. The sites and blogs that are most active about putting content up for their visitors are getting special treatment because they are viewed as more likely to be current for their customers - those people that search. There is no magic tool or button you can use to get these results. It's about building upon a foundation to be found in search.

Contact Fusework Studios for more information about building a strong foundation to win customers through search and inbound marketing.

Indiana Video Production is not dead

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 by Laurie Buschmann

Indiana video production is alive and well, and there are many production houses in central Indiana that do a fine job at it.

In this age of social media marketing, business blogging and email newsletters, it's important to remember the viability of video in your Internet marketing efforts.

You've heard it before, "Video tells a story." But more than that, it's a necessary tool that can impact your bottom line in a variety of ways. Through visuals and sound, your customers can:

Learn more about your business (history, products, process, etc.)
Hear testimonials from your customers about how great your product/service is
See step-by step how your product works, so customers will buy it themselves
Follow how-to instructions for accomplishing a certain task
Be inspired and empowered to donate to your cause
Be entertained by a different type of advertising
Advertise for you by sharing your video across their social media networks
And the list goes on....

Doing video is a no-brainer, so let us show you how easy it can be. Just think of all that content that's just waiting to be put out into the world.

Add video production to your web based strategy for 2010, and contact Fusework Studios today to get started.

The next phase in Indianapolis Web development: Part 1

Thursday, January 7, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

The year 2010 brings on new opportunities for businesses across the country including Indianapolis. The economy is slowly on the mend. Jobs are starting to come back. Businesses are strategizing on how to attack their marketing plans and grow. Indianapolis, in my opinion, is no different from this trend.

When I first came onto the web development scene, it was primarily about having a website. Your website was more of a brochure. There was little thought to a full web based strategy or social media community involvement for businesses. The primary focus was having a great looking web design and plenty of content for people to read.

Then came the next phase which was to measure the analytical data provided for your website. Soon, it was found that people often didn't spend more than 1-2 minutes on the site. This didn't help support the theory to have more than twenty pages of content. The next step was to find a way to convert those visits into money by creating calls-to-action. These calls-to-action were provided as forms, buttons and/or videos.

The most recent trend is how to use social media marketing and business blogging to benefit your business. Search engine marketing is taking the forefront, and more businesses are implementing corporate blogs and social media as a part of their web strategy. I believe this trend is going to add a new twist to how websites will be developed beginning in 2010.

With Google Live Search and the rise of blogging as the premiere method in getting recent and relevant content, the next trend is all about flexibility and the process of getting search content out to the masses. It will be about monitoring what people are looking for and providing that information. Businesses will be taking an ever-more increased role in talking WITH their customers (not just TO their customers). Websites and strategies will be taking on a new look to feed how people will find out about their business(es), goods and services.

I will be touching on how to take advantage of this new trend in my upcoming post. For now, I wanted to get you thinking about how sites will be developed differently with this in mind. I'd be interested in hearing some thoughts from you on what you see coming in the next year.

Practicing discipline in a Web based strategy

Monday, January 4, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

Discipline.

For most people it's an ugly word. It makes you think of a dog that misbehaves, an athlete making wrong choices during a sporting event or sometimes even more frustrating of a child that just won't listen and needs...discipline.

Discipline is an important intangible in your Web strategy.

Throughout 2009, I spoke of many different ways to utilize tools and third-party programs to enhance your web based strategy, and I spoke in many ways how Fusework Studios is a great Indianapolis web development company that can help touch all facets of an effective strategy. In 2010, I want to focus on things that are a little more intangible.

By now, most of you know about the tangible objects that go into a web based strategy such as business blogging, web development, website design, social media communities, search engine optimization and an email marketing strategy. When used correctly, all of these tools work, but there are things that are never seen that go into a successful strategy.

Discipline is accepting a challenge and having the fortitude to see it through. When embarking on a new marketing strategy, whether it's television, radio, print or the web, you will never know the true extent of its results until you see it through.

What are ways you can practice discipline in your web based strategy?

Make a plan. A web based strategy is a plan to achieve a goal. Put it on paper and keep it where you can see it.
Make a habit. Practice working on your strategy every day until that goal is achieved.
Do it when you don't want to do it. Some days it feels like too much work to participate in a social media community for your business, but those days are probably the most important to do the work.
Have a coach. Even professional athletes have a coach to help set goals and achieve them.
Form a team. Don't try to do this alone. Find skill sets that are needed to accomplish your goals, and find the people with similar discipline and passion to achieve your goals.

Find the intangibles that make your web based strategy great. I certainly hope this can energize you when you embark on 2010.

Need a coach or a team? Contact Fusework Studios today to discuss your goals and ambitions in 2010 and to create a web based strategy to work for your business.

Organic Search Engine Optimization and Quality Content

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 by Kevin Hood

With regards to business blogging and organic search engine optimization, they always say, "Content is King." You need content, content and lots more content to rank high in the search engines. The more pages you have, the better you will probably do.

However, does the quality of the content matter? You want your posts to be well written, interesting, add value and make readers come back for more. But does that matter to the search engines? Not really.

The search engines care much more about who is linking to you, versus the brilliant idea in that blog post you spent three hours revising. Yes, it's a little sad that Google doesn't love your idea and place your blog post at the top of the search results. But as SEO expert Rand Fish pointed out in his recent article, "Great Content Equals Great Rankings, Right? Wrong.," that's how marketing has always worked. The best restaurant is usually the local hole in the wall that no one has heard of, and sometimes the worst eateries are the chain restaurants who advertise and get virtual back links from commercials.

With this in mind, it's probably not a good idea to start writing tons of blog posts with sloppy content and little value. However, keep it in mind when you are stressing for hours over one little blog post. Of course you want your customers to like your corporate blog, but organic search engine optimization should be at the focus. Write more content, have an Internet marketing strategy to get links to your content, and don't worry as much about what you write. You can write blog posts until your nose bleeds, but if no one is linking to them, Google won't care.

Indiana Website Development Trends

Friday, November 13, 2009 by Brandon Coppernoll

Since I graduated in 2005, I immediately found a home as a database programmer for a local Indiana website development company. The company's primary focus was to build new websites using their proprietary CMS, and everything had to revolve around this software. The problem with this tactic and approach is that rarely does one piece of software accomplish everything you can dream about.

We live in an age where SEO, social media communities and Internet marketing reign as kings, and website development becomes only a part of the overall web based strategy. To some, this may seem as a threat to the existence of traditional website development, but I do not feel any personal fear that this is the case. The role has changed, but the need is still very real.

More and more now the "custom development" tag and approach is becoming less prominent. Most ideas have been put to code before. The trick is how do you utilize or critique these tools from several third-parties and create something spectacular. One of the easiest examples of this trend is the inclusion of social media communities with corporate websites and corporate blogging. Unless your need is so specific, you're likely going to be using a third-party application already created for your corporate blogging needs.

Talk to Fusework Studios about website development and about creating a winning web based strategy. We would love to help your business be on the cutting edge of your online web presence.

Simple Opportunities for Organic Search Engine Optimization

Monday, November 9, 2009 by Derek McClain

Fusework Studios recently held an event for a local chapter of Business Networking International (BNI) at our office in Muncie, Indiana. The event was designed to be an educational session on organic search engine optimization and business blogging. The attendees were all local business owners and general managers that are typically not involved in the day-to-day management of their organic search engine optimization strategy. Understanding this, we did not want to go into technical detail with all of the behind-the-scenes elements that search engines are seeking. Instead, we focused on simple adjustments that can help make a big difference in organic search. Often times the simple things are easily overlooked, and by pointing these things out, we were able to raise a few eyebrows and spark interest in our services.

organic-search-engine-optimization-graphic

The feedback from our session was great, and it was incredible to see the reaction from the attendees when we uncovered some basic things their website had been missing. I'd like to share just three pointers from the meeting that are often overlooked.

Domain Name - The value of a great keyword domain name is huge. Consider registering a domain name that includes keywords for the services you provide and putting a microsite behind that domain name. We recently employed this strategy with one of our microsites which can be found at InternetMarketingIndianapolis.com.
Title Tags - The page title or title tag absolutely cannot be overlooked. This is a chance to include keywords relevant to the content on that specific page in one of the areas that search engines are looking at as a top priority. Using the same title tag for every page or only including one word (such as "About") is not going to help. Take some time when assigning a title to your new page. We recently changed our title tag on the Fusework Studios TV website and are now ranking very high for Indiana film and video production.
Headings - Pay attention to the headings used at the top of your web pages. Avoid the standard "Welcome" to our website trap. Instead, use this heading to include keywords related to your services. When launching our new Fuseworkstudios.com website, we were able to include Internet marketing within our heading. This is much better than "Welcome to our new web site."

I Don't Have Time for Business Blogging!

Thursday, November 5, 2009 by Kevin Hood

"I don't have time to blog for my business." That has to be one of the catch phrases of 2009. Heck, maybe it will make a Rolling Stone Top 50 List. It is probably the most popular reason for business owners or employees to not start a corporate blog.

It's a lame excuse. Every business provides a product or service. The majority of human beings on the planet Earth use the Internet, not the Yellow Pages or Highflyer, to find your product or service. You need to be found on the Internet, and business blogging is one of the easiest ways to improve your search engine optimization. You include keywords in your content, get links to your blog, Google starts to like you and then you increase your search engine ranking (and sometimes get two results for the same keywords).

So how do we find you time for your all important business blogging? I'm going to be honest; sometimes it's hard. You're out of the office for a few days on sales calls or busy with a project, and you really are stressed to find time to blog. We need to change your approach to blogging, so here are a few tips:

Set a schedule to blog. Or, if you're not a fan of structure, promise yourself you will write a certain number of blogs every week. We have blogging lunches which helps increase our business blogging.
Take notes with blogging ideas. Not a day goes by that don't I come up with some good idea for a blog post, but I don't always write them down. Carry a notepad, use your phone or create a draft blog post with your idea. Just write the title and a sentence or two. Then, come back to turn it into a real blog post. If you know you have ideas ready to develop, it can motivate you to finish them and end up with more frequent blog posts.
Turn your emails into business blogs. There are those projects, those quotes, those conversations where you spent hours selling why you are the best. You worked hard, it sounded good and hopefully got you the sale. Use that content in a blog post, just copy and paste! Don't feel like blogging? Find an email!
Blog about another blog post. Giving links to another website with a similar topic can be good for your search engine optimization. Quote a paragraph of theirs and then give a paragraph of your own thoughts. Easy peasy!
Embed a Youtube video and then comment about it. The video can be from a competitor, a partner or a customer. Add content with keywords, make it interesting, and off you are to the blogging for search races. Yee Haw!
KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). It doesn't have to be a thesis, or brain science, or rocket surgery ... it just has to be interesting and provide some kind of value. Don't sweat over it; maybe your next blog post will be better.
Blog about employees, corporate events, industry news. The business blogging ideas are endless.

Hopefully, that gives you a few corporate blog ideas and attitudes to help you forget those lame excuses. A blog is kind of like the green beans you wouldn't eat as a kid. It tastes good and has value once you try it. Any Internet marketing strategy is a long term process, but with constant effort and best practices, you can turn business blogging into a return on investment. That's the bottom line, whether mommy wants you to blog or not.

Internet Marketing in Indiana

Friday, October 16, 2009 by Derek McClain

When looking for a company to help with Internet marketing in Indiana, you will likely have a long list from which to choose. Some will tell you it's all about social media optimization, and others will say spend your money on Pay Per Click (PPC) search marketing. Some will stress the importance of an email marketing strategy, while others will say it is all about having a business blogging strategy. At times, it can probably get downright confusing. Well, let me add just a bit more confusion and tell you that all of them are right!

internet-marketing-indiana-business-woman-ejoys-benefits

You see, it is not just ONE of these things that leads to successful Internet marketing in Indiana. It is a combination of all! This is why finding a true Internet marketing agency in Indiana is so important.

An Internet marketing agency can provide stratgies for all of these services. They have either taken the time to develop this part of their business in house, or they have built partnerships with other agencies that specialize in a paticular area. Either way, the ultimate goal is providing YOU (the consumer) with the best solution from the people with the most experience and success. It is only then that you will enjoy ALL of the Internet marketing benefits that will help your company grow.

At Fusework Studios, we stress the importance of developing this complete Internet marketing strategy for you because we know that it's not all about ONE thing. It's all about understanding your business and providing you with a package of Internet marketing services that will allow you to see the best end results.

So the next time you are confused and everyone is telling you all about the latest trend, find a complete Internet marketing company in Indiana and enjoy all of the Internet marketing benefits you deserve!

Internet Marketing Indiana Keyword Phrase Should Be Good for SEO

Friday, October 16, 2009 by Kevin Hood

Internet Marketing Indiana has to be one of my favorite keyword phrases ever. We just added it to our corporate blog yesterday, and with zero content, we are already ranking fourth on the first page of Google for "Internet Marketing Indiana." Of course, that high search engine ranking won't last for long without good quality content.

When writing content and blog posts to target a keyword phrase, there are several steps you can take for search engine optimization purposes.

Begin the title of the article with the keyword phrase. The keyword should have a headline tag if the website is set up correctly.
Begin the article with the keyword phrase and use it again in the first paragraph if you can get away with it.
The keyword should also appear as the title of the web page by using the <title> meta tag. Your company name should be listed after the keyword phrase.
Although Yahoo is supposedly the only search engine paying attention, it is still a good idea to use the keyword phrase in your description and keyword meta tags.
Highlighting the keyword in bold can help improve search engine optimization.
Insert an image into the article with a keyword rich file name, alt tag and description.

We'll stop there and keep it simple for now, but these rules apply when writing content for a website, business blogging or even when using social media sites that are indexed by the search engines. So for now, the organic search engine optimization tips end, and the monitoring of the "Internet Marketing Indiana" keyword ranking begins.

Blogging As Part of Your Web Business Strategy

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 by Derek McClain

Why should blogging be a part of your web business strategy? What is the difference between a personal blog and a business blog? Isn't blogging just an online diary?

These are just a few of the questions we get at Fusework Studios prior to explainging how important blogging can be to a solid web business strategy. In the video below, Kevin Hood and Bruce McClain discuss blogging and how it can be used to increase your online visibility. Check it out!

Web Business Strategy: How do you want to be found by search?

Monday, September 21, 2009 by Brandon Coppernoll

In most cases if a customer is using search engines to find you by your business name, it's because they already know about you but may not know your web address. It's simply the easiest way to win search. In order to bring in customers that may not know much about your business, the best way is to utilize keywords that best describe areas of your business for which you want to be found. Developing a web business strategy around specific keywords and phrases of your products and services will provide you more ROI in the long run.

How can this be accomplished?

Start a corporate blog and set a goal of 10-15 keywords or phrases to focus on
Consistently post content to your blog, site and social media profiles
Focus energy on conversion - whether it's a sale or conversion form on your site
Consider digesting ideas from an internet marketing agency regarding a full spectrum of ideas, not just getting you to the first page of search listings
Understand that the goal should not solely be getting to the first page of Google but to convert qualified traffic

We encourage social media optimization revolving around these keywords. First create a goal to strategize on how you would like to be found using search. Corporate blogging is a great way to fortify your brand and online presence and blogs that are consistent in producing content will get more attention from search engines. The final step is to use social media to enforce your blogging efforts and to drive traffic back to your site. All that is left is conversion.

How to retain customers: Create positive digital experiences

Saturday, September 12, 2009 by Brandon Coppernoll

Every time a customer walks through your doors, comes to your web site or even talks to a representative of your company, you are providing a touch point with that customer. Based on that experience your customer will buy your goods or services or walk away forever and likely tell others to stay away. The traditional methods on how to retain customers have been innovated and recycled time and time again, but in this digital age we must learn how to utilize a complete internet marketing plan to create positive digital experiences.

About ten years ago it used to be all about building a web site. It had to be beautiful, completely branded from stem to stern and had to have some of the neatest functionality anyone has seen in your industry. Businesses were always trying to outthink their competitors to come up with the next big thing that will sway customers their way.

Today it's completely different. It's not enough to build a web site. You must create a social media presence that speaks to your target audience, and once you have their attention you must give incentive to convert.

Where do you have to be to reach customers?

Corporate Web site
Brand or product micro sites
Corporate blogging
Social media communities

How does your company utilize these tools to create positive digital experiences or touch points for your customers? Are you even involved in social media and marketing in your advertising plan? When you search for more information about your company on the Web do you find positive brand reinforcement, or do you find you have a bad Internet reputation? If you're using these tools, are they up-to-date with the latest news and promotions for your customers, or do you find Internet cobwebs are taking over?

All of these digital experiences are affordable and effective avenues to market to your customers. Do you have a strategic social media and Internet marketing plan to reach your customers and keep them coming back?

A simple lesson on how to retain customers

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 by Brandon Coppernoll

The lesson I've learned on how to retain customers through blogging is to keep producing relevant content to your corporation and to your readers. A corporate blog is your opportunity to interact with your customer and enhance your image while delivering the message on what your company is about. It is also increasingly one of the best wasy to win new clients through search.

At times this year I'll admit I haven't been the best at keeping up with writing in my personal blog. There was about a three month span that I just didn't write more than once a week. Most of the time they were simple posts that had little relevancy to each other and being so far spaced out the blog itself was not seeing very much traffic.

Learn how to retain customers and grow your business through blogging.

Since mid-August I realized what I was doing and decided to take it upon myself to write daily. There are some major trends that I'm seeing which I find quite interesting and can easily be applied to corporate blogging.

In two days this week I have seen the same amount of traffic I saw over a two week span in July;
I've seen more comments this month than I saw three months combined;
Not only am I retaining my returning readers, but I am also attracting some new traffic.

I've found that corporate blogging is on the rise, and there are many sources out there to support this and give tips on corporate blogging. After my personal experience in the rise of traffic to my blog I've realized that blogging and producing content is important to any corporate internet marketing strategy.

Internet Marketing is Kind of Like Spring Cleaning

Tuesday, June 9, 2009 by Kevin Hood

It's that time of year again . . . dusting the cobwebs, organizing the garage and getting ready for the summer. Whether it's planting new flowers or cleaning out the attic, we all have to do it.

Our co-worker came in to work a few days ago with a story about her clothes dryer. A friend was over at her place while she was doing laundry, and noticed the lint catcher had never been cleaned! She didn't know that you were supposed to clean anything in a dryer. The dryer was probably taking a lot longer to dry the clothes, but she just set it to dry for 90 minutes and didn't give it a second thought.

There are a lot of things your business probably forgets to do, too. Especially when looking at your website, online presence and Internet Marketing strategies. When is the last time you updated your website or corporate blog? It's like forgetting to mow your yard for a month or two, the weeds start growing and neighbors start to think of you as a "bad neighbor." The search engines will do the same thing if you let your website become stale. Google won't like you as much and you will get less traffic.

What about the choice of keywords and title tags that you probably decided on several years ago? Are they the best words and description for your business now?

Is the content of your website up to date and reflect the latest features of your widget or service?

Are you still ranking well on Google and other search engines, or have certain pages and keyword searches faded to the second page of results?

The Internet Marketing laundry list goes on and on . . . kind of like the honey-do list in your house. Every two or three years the external design of your website should probably be updated. But, don’t forget about the insides of your website. If you forget about Internet Marketing . . . the search engines might forget about you.