Building a web presence that will work for your business - Building a great website, Writing words people will read, Search engine optimization, Driving website traffic with links, Understanding social networking and Video marketing basics

1. Scott Adams

2. Building a web
presence that
will work for
your business
• Building a great website
• Writing words people will read
• Search engine optimization
• Driving website traffic with links
• Understanding social networking
• Video marketing basics

3. Building a
Great Website

4. First Impressions
According to Canadian researchers, it takes as little as 50 milliseconds (1/20th
of a second) for web users to form a first impression. In the blink of an eye,
web surfers make nearly instantaneous judgments of a website's "visual
appeal." Through the "halo effect", first impressions can colour subsequent
judgments of perceived credibility, usability, and can ultimately influence our
purchasing decisions. Creating a fast-loading, visually appealing site can help
websites succeed.
Clearly, there is a connection between our emotional reaction to a webpage,
and our conscious thought process. Consumers apply both holistic (emotional)
and analytic (cognitive) judgment in the decision to buy a product. The
feelings you evoke in visitors through a clean, professional design can have a
lasting effect on their buying judgments.
If visitors like the look of your website, this positivism will spread to other
areas, such as the website’s actual content. Most people like to be right in the
decisions that they make and will therefore continue to use a website that
made a good first impression, thus confirming that their initial decision was
correct.

5. First Impressions
According to Canadian researchers, it
takes 1/20th of a second for users to
form a first impression.
There is a connection between our
emotional reaction to a webpage, and
our conscious thought process.
If visitors like the look of your website,
this will spread to other areas, such as
the website’s actual content.

6. you be the judge
• which site gives a better impression?

7. you be the judge
• which site gives a better impression?

8. A great website
in 3 easy steps

9. STEP 1: What’s the point?
Be clear about your reason for creating a website. Is it going to serve as an online
brochure for people who you hand your business cards to? Is it going to function
primarily as a tool to sell your product or service?

10. STEP 1: What’s the point?
Be clear about your reason for creating a website. Is it going to serve as an online
brochure for people who you hand your business cards to? Is it going to function
primarily as a tool to sell your product or service?
What are your goals for the site?
• Generate sales
• Generate leads
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

13. STEP 1: What’s the point?

14. STEP 1: What’s the point?
Your goals should be:
• SPECIFIC: Describes what you want to accomplish
with as much detail as possible.
• REALISTIC: Goals you know you are actually capable
of obtaining.
• CHALLENGING: Takes energy and discipline to
accomplish rewarding goals.
• MEASURABLE: Describes your goals in terms that can
clearly be evaluated.

15. STEP 2: Why are you so special?
One of the biggest advantages of web marketing is the ability to focus
on very specific target markets. Therefore it is very important to keep
your competitive advantage at the forefront when designing/
rebuilding a website.

16. STEP 2: Why are you so special?
One of the biggest advantages of web marketing is the ability to focus
on very specific target markets. Therefore it is very important to keep
your competitive advantage at the forefront when designing/
rebuilding a website.
What is it that sets you apart from the rest?

17. STEP 2: Why are you so special?
One of the biggest advantages of web marketing is the ability to focus
on very specific target markets. Therefore it is very important to keep
your competitive advantage at the forefront when designing/
rebuilding a website.
What is it that sets you apart from the rest?
How is that a benefit to the consumer?

18. Creating visually appealing
websites
4 goals in 30 seconds
Your homepage must communicate to new visitors:
What site they have arrived at
What benefits you offer them
Something about you and your latest
products or happenings
Their choices and how to get to the
most relevant section for them

19. Creating visually appealing
websites
4 goals in 30 seconds
Your homepage must communicate to new visitors:
What site they have arrived at WHO
What benefits you offer them
Something about you and your latest
products or happenings
Their choices and how to get to the
most relevant section for them

20. Creating visually appealing
websites
4 goals in 30 seconds
Your homepage must communicate to new visitors:
What site they have arrived at WHO
What benefits you offer them WHY
Something about you and your latest
products or happenings
Their choices and how to get to the
most relevant section for them

21. Creating visually appealing
websites
4 goals in 30 seconds
Your homepage must communicate to new visitors:
What site they have arrived at WHO
What benefits you offer them WHY
Something about you and your latest
products or happenings NEW/WHAT
Their choices and how to get to the
most relevant section for them

22. Creating visually appealing
websites
4 goals in 30 seconds
Your homepage must communicate to new visitors:
What site they have arrived at WHO
What benefits you offer them WHY
Something about you and your latest
products or happenings NEW/WHAT
Their choices and how to get to the NEXT
most relevant section for them

23. 4 goals in 30 seconds

24. 4 goals in 30 seconds
WHO

25. 4 goals in 30 seconds
WHO
NEW

26. 4 goals in 30 seconds
WHO
WHY
NEW

27. 4 goals in 30 seconds
WHO
WHY
NEW
NEXT

28. 4 goals in 30 seconds
WHO
NEXT
NEXT
WHAT
WHY
WHAT

29. Keep it Clean & Simple
People don’t read websites,
they scan them!

32. Keep it Clean & Simple
The F Pattern

36. Writing Words
People will Read

37. Tips on writing good web copy
Make sure content is easy to read

38. Tips on writing good web copy
Strong clear
headline

39. Tips on writing good web copy

40. Tips on writing good web copy
Short paragraphs

41. Tips on writing good web copy
Short paragraphs
Bold keywords

42. Tips on writing good web copy
Short paragraphs
Bold keywords
Clear sub-headings

43. Tips on writing good web copy
Short paragraphs
Bold keywords
Clear sub-headings
Break out text
when you can

44. Tips on writing good web copy
Write for how people search

45. Tips on writing good web copy
The Headline - your most important content

46. Tips on writing good web copy
The Headline - your most important content

47. Tips on writing good web copy
The Headline - your most important content

48. Tips on writing good web copy
1st Paragraph- 2nd most important content

49. Tips on writing good web copy
1st Paragraph- 2nd most important content

50. Tips on writing good web copy
Provide links and connections

51. Tips on writing good web copy
Sell benefits, not features
Why is it better to offer problem-solving information
than a straight sales pitch?

52. Tips on writing good web copy
Sell benefits, not features
Why is it better to offer problem-solving information
than a straight sales pitch?
Because: Nobody who bought a drill wanted a drill.
They wanted a hole.

53. Tips on writing good web copy
Sell benefits, not features
Answer: What’s in it for me?

54. Tips on writing good web copy
Sell benefits, not features
Answer: What’s in it for me?
NOT
• We provide excellent customer service
• Our company has been around for 25 years
• We’re a full-service resort
• The trips are the best of their kind

55. Tips on writing good web copy
Edit, edit, then edit some more

56. Tips on writing good web copy
Edit, edit, then edit some more

57. Tips on writing good web copy
Edit, edit, then edit some more

58. Tips on writing good web copy
Edit, edit, then edit some more

59. Tips on writing good web copy
Edit, edit, then edit some more

60. Tips on writing good web copy
Edit, edit, then edit some more

61. Tips on writing good web copy
Edit, edit, then edit some more

62. Tips on writing good web copy
Edit, edit, then edit some more

63. Tips on writing good web copy
Edit, edit, then edit some more

65. Tips on writing good web copy

66. Tips on writing good web copy
1. Who is the content for? What’s the value?

67. Tips on writing good web copy
1. Who is the content for? What’s the value?
2. What are your keywords?

68. Tips on writing good web copy
1. Who is the content for? What’s the value?
2. What are your keywords?
3. What other ideas are important?

69. Tips on writing good web copy
1. Who is the content for? What’s the value?
2. What are your keywords?
3. What other ideas are important?
4. Any relevant internal content?

70. Tips on writing good web copy
1. Who is the content for? What’s the value?
2. What are your keywords?
3. What other ideas are important?
4. Any relevant internal content?
5. Any relevant external content?

71. Tips on writing good web copy
1. Who is the content for? What’s the value?
2. What are your keywords?
3. What other ideas are important?
4. Any relevant internal content?
5. Any relevant external content?
6. What do you want people to do next?

72. Search Engine
Optimization
(SEO)

73. Understanding SEO
Time

74. Understanding Search Engines
Search engines help people find information that is
relevant to the keywords used in their search.
To do this, search engines rely on programs called
“spiders,” “crawlers” or “robots.”
The search engine sends out a spider, It reads the
content and follows links to other pages within the
site
This information is collected in an index, or catalogue,
to be referenced against a future search query.

75. Understanding Search Engines
What is Google’s purpose?

76. Understanding Search Engines
What is Google’s purpose?
To provide you with the best source of
information for the words you are
searching for.

77. SEO Defined
Become the best source for your keywords!

78. SEO Defined
Become the best source for your keywords!
How?
1. Tell the search engines that you are the source:
- Titles, content, meta tags, etc....

79. SEO Defined
Become the best source for your keywords!
How?
1. Tell the search engines that you are the source:
- Titles, content, meta tags, etc....
2. Have other people tell search engines that you are the source:
- Bookmarking, links, news stories, social networks, etc ...

80. Understanding the Search
Engine Results Page (SERP)

81. Understanding Vertical Search

82. Understanding Universal
Search

83. Two Step
SEO Strategy

84. STEP 1: Keyword Strategy
Brainstorm!
List all the names and words you use to
describe your location and experiences.
* Use the keyword discovery worksheet

85. STEP 1: Keyword Strategy
Organize your keywords
Product Category Experiences / Activities Demographic Location
Canoe trip river trip families Algoma
wilderness camping Chapleau Game
Preserve
Comparison Qualifier Benefits Action
easy canoe trip fully guided family fun download travel guide

86. STEP 1: Keyword Strategy
Research

87. STEP 1: Keyword Strategy
Research
Check your website search referrals

88. STEP 1: Keyword Strategy
Research
Check your website search referrals
Look at your site search

89. STEP 1: Keyword Strategy
Research
Check your website search referrals
Look at your site search
Analyse your competition

90. STEP 1: Keyword Strategy
Research
Check your website search referrals
Look at your site search
Analyse your competition
Consult keyword research tools

91. STEP 1: Keyword Strategy

92. STEP 1: Keyword Strategy
Think like a customer!
1. What do your customers need? What problems are they trying to
solve? What words do they use to describe their needs and
problems?
2. What content do you have on your webpage that would satisfy
their search? What words would you search for to find that content?
3. How would you describe your product to a novice?

93. STEP 2: Incorporate Keywords
Page Title (Title Meta-tag)
Page Description
(Description Meta-tag)

94. STEP 2: Incorporate Keywords
Page Title (Title Meta-tag)

95. STEP 2: Incorporate Keywords
Page Description
(Description Meta-tag)

96. STEP 2: Incorporate Keywords
Keywords in Content

97. STEP 2: Incorporate Keywords
Keywords in Content
Headings - keywords found within headings are given higher weight
than elsewhere. Take advantage of the <h1> tag attribute. Tagging a
heading with the <h1> tag will emphasize its importance even further.

98. STEP 2: Incorporate Keywords
Keywords in Content
Headings - keywords found within headings are given higher weight
than elsewhere. Take advantage of the <h1> tag attribute. Tagging a
heading with the <h1> tag will emphasize its importance even further.
Opening text - Keywords that appear at the top of the page have
more impact than the text that follows.

99. STEP 2: Incorporate Keywords
Keywords in Content
Headings - keywords found within headings are given higher weight
than elsewhere. Take advantage of the <h1> tag attribute. Tagging a
heading with the <h1> tag will emphasize its importance even further.
Opening text - Keywords that appear at the top of the page have
more impact than the text that follows.
Emphasized text - Bold and italicized keywords stand out to a visitor,
so search engines give them somewhat more consideration too.

100. STEP 2: Incorporate Keywords
Keywords in Content
Headings - keywords found within headings are given higher weight
than elsewhere. Take advantage of the <h1> tag attribute. Tagging a
heading with the <h1> tag will emphasize its importance even further.
Opening text - Keywords that appear at the top of the page have
more impact than the text that follows.
Emphasized text - Bold and italicized keywords stand out to a visitor,
so search engines give them somewhat more consideration too.
All the rest - Keywords throughout your entire page are important, but
not as important as if they were in placements listed above.

101. Keywords in Content

102. STEP 2: Incorporate Keywords
IMPORTANT
Nothing is more important than good copy!

103. STEP 2: Incorporate Keywords
IMPORTANT
Nothing is more important than good copy!

104. Optimize your Images

105. Optimize your Images
1. Use Descriptive Filenames
Save your image with a word or short phrase that describes what is in
the image.

106. Optimize your Images
2. Use the ALT tag
Use keywords to describe your image in the ALT (alternative text) tag
Google Image Search will display the ALT tag text in each search result.

107. Optimize your Images
2. Use the ALT tag
Use keywords to describe your image in the ALT (alternative text) tag
Google Image Search will display the ALT tag text in each search result.

108. Optimize your Images
2. Use the ALT tag
Use keywords to describe your image in the ALT (alternative text) tag
Google Image Search will display the ALT tag text in each search result.

109. Optimize your Images
3. Use a Caption with your Image
Placing a small caption directly under, on top or on the side of your
image will help cue the search engines to the meaning of the image.
With a caption, you can be a little more descriptive about the picture than
with the ALT attribute, but again, make it flow naturally.

110. Optimize your Images
3. Use a Caption with your Image
Placing a small caption directly under, on top or on the side of your
image will help cue the search engines to the meaning of the image.
With a caption, you can be a little more descriptive about the picture than
with the ALT attribute, but again, make it flow naturally.

111. Link Juice
Driving traffic to your Website

112. Link Juice is good
Your
Website

113. Linking Best Practices
Relevance is KEY!
Best links are from industry related
authoritative websites.

114. Linking Best Practices
Use appropriate anchor text
Anchor Text

115. Linking Best Practices
Link to specific content
Agawa Train Snowmobile
Experience Link
Good
Agawa Train Snowmobile
Experience Link
Bad

116. Linking Best Practices
Quality matters!

117. Linking Best Practices
Quality matters!

118. Linking Best Practices
Quality matters! - Get Deep Links

119. Linking Best Practices
Quality matters! - Get Deep Links

120. How to Gain Links
Link Juice

121. Remember:
Linking best
practices

122. Respect the Authority

123. How to Gain Links
Must have link-worthy content

124. How to Gain Links
Must have link-worthy content
That is content that:
• Directly benefits the reader
• Benefits your own business
• Benefits the website that will
link to you

125. How to Gain Links

126. How to Gain Links
Take part in online communities

127. How to Gain Links
Take part in online communities
Write and publish online articles/press releases

128. How to Gain Links
Take part in online communities
Write and publish online articles/press releases
Comment on blogs

129. How to Gain Links
Take part in online communities
Write and publish online articles/press releases
Comment on blogs
Mention your content on social networking sites

130. How to Gain Links
Take part in online communities
Write and publish online articles/press releases
Comment on blogs
Mention your content on social networking sites
Create a newsletter

131. How to Gain Links
Take part in online communities
Write and publish online articles/press releases
Comment on blogs
Mention your content on social networking sites
Create a newsletter
Allow people to share your content

132. How to Gain Links
Make it easy to share!

133. Understanding
Social
Networking

136. But I do web marketing?

137. Old Way New Medium
FA IL !

138. Some Mind
Blowing Stats

139. Over 500 Million Users

142. # of Tweets grew
1,400%
in 2009

143. Over 2 Billion videos
viewed PER DAY

144. 24 hours of videos
uploaded per minute

146. In September photo #
5 billion was uploaded

147. 20% of daily searches
are new keywords

148. Social Media on the Move

149. Everyone MUST
be in this space

151. Social Media
is a tool.
Not a strategy.

152. You must have a
strategic reason for
using Social Media
(beyond awareness)

153. Shiny toys are fun.

154. But ...

155. Social Media ... what
hasn’t changed?

156. Content Still Must Be
timely, brief, helpful, useful, informative, relevant
practical, actionable, entertaining, fun

157. Ask yourself...
What do you have, what can you give or
what can you do to provide value.

158. YOU Still Must Be
Be transparent.
Be authentic.
Be human.

159. GIVE
Don’t Sell

160. Listen & Ask
Don’t Tell

161. Where to start?

162. Listen

163. The Big Four

169. Measure

170. REACH: how far does it travel?

171. http://www.google.com/insights/search/

172. INFLUENCE: Is anyone sharing your content?

175. AUTHORITY: how trusted is the source?

177. AUTHORITY: how trusted is the source?

178. ENGAGEMENT: how involved do they get?

179. ENGAGEMENT: how involved do they get?

180. ENGAGEMENT: how involved do they get?

181. ENGAGEMENT: how involved do YOU get?
Free Twitter
analytics ...
coming soon

182. CONVERSION: is anybody tacking action?
Booking
Email
Inquiry
Analytics
Subscribe

183. CONVERSION: is anybody tacking action?

184. CONVERSION: is anybody tacking action?
Just Ask

185. FREE: Tools

186. PAID: Tools

187. Video Marketing
Basics

188. WHY?
• Helps you stay current - If you want your
content to be seen as something that is hot and
fresh, you need to have it in the hottest and
freshest format… and that’s video.
• It’s where the people are - YouTube has over
two billion videos served per day.
• Helps you get discovered - Videos are easier
to rank then websites
• Helps sell products - According to comScore,
the number of online shoppers who watch online
retail product videos before buying a product
grew 40% from January 2008 to January of 2009.

189. USER GENERATED
CONTENT

190. USER GENERATED
CONTENT

191. QUALITY VS QUANTITY

193. DON’T PRODUCE ADS - TELL STORIES

194. DON’T PRODUCE ADS - TELL STORIES

196. RESPECT COPYRIGHT

197. QUALITY VS QUANTITY

198. THE STRATEGY
1. Concept - need a cool topic
2. Content not Ads - tell stories
3. Production - have the right equipment
4. Title & Description - need to motivate clicks
5. Distribution - take it to the people

199. IDEA FACTORY
• New or exceptional
• The adventure
• The famous
• People / locals
• The environment
• Traveller’s transformation
• Who is behind the business

200. DISTRIBUTION

201. EQUIPMENT
1. Camera
2. Audio
3. Tripod
4. Lighting
5. Memory & storage
6. Editing

202. Thank you!
birchbarkmedia.com
twitter.com/birchbarkscott
linkedin.com/in/birchbarkscott
Text
facebook.com/birchbarkmedia

203. Let’s Stay Connected!
facebook.com/TheDigitalTourist
Text