From Eveningsnews.com
Helping Customers Find Your Business Online
By Patrizio Spagnoletto
Mar 9, 2007, 22:02
(NAPSI)-Someone once said, "90 percent of success in life is just showing up."
But that's not necessarily true when it comes to using the Internet to help build a small business. As more people turn to the Internet to find out about all of the products and services they need, a new key to success has emerged: the ability to be found easily online.
One of the best ways to help steer customers your way may be sponsored Internet search advertising, also known as "pay per click" or "keyword advertising."
Getting started with search advertising can be easy and inexpensive. As with any new business program, your first search campaigns will involve some trial and error. But the ability to track results means you can target your spending on keywords that work for you.
Here are a few time-tested best practices that can help deliver results for your business:
• Pick search terms that your customers are likely to use to describe what you offer. If you've had a Web site for a while and are familiar with your Web logs and search logs, review them to find popular terms people have used to find your Web site.
• Search ad copy should be simple, clear and factual. Write as if you were a neutral third party.
• Set a budget and establish clear objectives. Consider setting bids for keywords at a price that will deliver specific results that you can measure, such as cost per acquisition, profit or ROI.
To make it much easier for businesses to plan and manage search advertising campaigns, Yahoo! recently enhanced its search advertising system. Features include a new ad-testing tool that automatically rotates ads so that you can compare results. The service also added geographic targeting and a forecasting tool that is designed to guide businesses with estimated bid price and click information to help achieve desired results.
Researchers believe Americans conduct more than a billion Internet searches every three days. And in a recent survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 78 percent of respondents said they use search engines to research products and services before buying.
It's much more than just showing up. It's connecting with customers at exactly the moment they are looking for what your business offers.
Find out more at http://signup.marketingsolutions.yahoo.com.
• Patrizio Spagnoletto is a senior marketing director at Yahoo! Search Marketing, specializing in search advertising strategies for small businesses.
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