Blogs are the fastest growing class of websites on the internet. No longer the sole domain of teenagers and the love lorn, blogs are now an established form of internet communication.
The online business community has recently discovered the power of blogging, and as such are faced with raising the blog site’s ranking in the search engine results pages (SERPs). As a direct result of some of the blog characteristics, high search rankings are readily available for the careful blog writer.
Like any other website, blogs have techniques for search engine optimization (SEO), many of them the same as for traditional static websites, and many of them unique to blogs. Among the issues faced by some bloggers is the abundance of free blog hosting sites.
Not requiring any initial cash outlay, the free blog hosts have literally millions of blogs on their books. One of the most popular is the Google owned blog host Blogger.
Note that in this article, the capitalized word Blogger refers to the blog hosting company, while the lower case generic term blogger indicates the blog writer. Confusion between the two words will be avoided as much as possible.
Like all free web hosts, Blogger hosted blogs face unique optimization challenges. Unlike sites where the domain name is owned by the webmaster, free blog hosts maintain ownership of the blog. In fact, the blog name is a sub-domain of the blog host, making value from the blog URL a less powerful optimization tool.
Despite the limitations faced by a blog hosted by Google owned Blogger, there are many very powerful optimization techniques available to the blogger. As we will see, blogs have some optimization methods, that are only available to blogs in general, regardless of host.
When considering the optimization techniques to apply to blogs, the basics of fresh keyword rich content, theme relevance, incoming links, and link anchor text all apply to blogs. In that sense optimization for blogs is no different from other websites.
On the other hand, some additional methods and some restrictions in the choice of techniques are involved as well. The various restrictions are often a direct result of the placement of the blog on the free host.
In this case study, the free host is Blogger. These shortcomings must always be kept in mind, when considering the best course, to fully optimize your blog.
Free Blogger hosting for your blog
Blogger enables you to host your blog on their server for free. As a very simple use interface system, even a novice with absolutely no programming or blogging experience of any kind, can be fully operational in a matter of minutes. The procedure for starting a blog is very simple, and takes only minutes to complete.
The Blogger server offers the choice of having a free standing blog as a separate website, or the option of writing your daily posts on the Blogger interface, and file transfer them to your existing website via the built in FTP feature.
Blogger provides a choice of pre-written templates for the blog layout, but all of them are changeable to include different color combinations and page formats.
Blogger freely permits the use of third party add on features, including commenting systems, track back, visitor counters, RSS site feeds, and most scripts often seen incorporated into traditional websites.
Note that Blogger offers all of those necessary blogging functions, including a site feed through Atom, with the exception of track back, in its blogging service package. Other third party feeds can be freely added to the Blogger template. I use several on my blogs.
The user is under no obligation to use the Blogger supplied versions, however. The company agreement does require that the Blogger logo icon remain on all of the pages, however.
When choosing a URL for the blog, it will appear as http://yourblogname.blogspot.com or if you prefer, as http://www.yourblogname.blogspot.com making the blog URL a sub-domain of the Blogger system.
The main domain is indicated by the “blogspot.com portion of the URL. With being a sub-domain, there are some unique, but not insurmountable challenges to optimization, as we shall see.
A Blogger user is not restricted in the choice of blog titles, and careful title and URL selection can help greatly in the optimization process. Many blogs suffer from having very poorly selected titles, that contain no relevance to the overall blog theme. Keep that in mind when selecting a title.
Keywords within the blog title and URL are very powerful in ranking well, with a blog component, especially as a sub-domain from the Blogger host.
After creating a blog title, and selecting a blog template to be customized later, the Blogger registration process is completed. A new blog writer is ready to begin writing blog columns, which are referred to as posts.
Optimization and SEO power of blogs
Contrary to what many people believe, Google does not give preference to blogs hosted on Blogger, despite Google’s ownership of the popular blog service.
As a result, bloggers using the Blogger hosting system are on even footing with bloggers using other free or paid blog hosting services, and with blogs hosted under an owned domain name, or as part of an owned domain website. The playing field for optimization is as level as possible for bloggers using a sub-domain of Blogger, and for other bloggers as well.
Blogs rank well in the search engines by their very nature. They are regularly updated with keyword rich content. Most blog writers stick to a main theme for their blogs making relevance easy. Because of the blog’s versatility, the blogger can add more themes to the blog and tie them together, enabling a blog to maintain several strong themes.
Blogs are also link magnets, mainly from other similarly themed blogs. It is not unusual for a blog to receive a Google PageRank 4 or 5 after being live on the internet for only one month. The theme relevant links are often placed right in blog posts, and contain powerful link anchor text.
One way inbound links to blogs are freely given by other bloggers as many blog writers are not concerned about search engine rankings. As a result, the competitive level of the sought after keywords is not as strong as its overall potential, based on sheer numbers of blogs.
Bloggers maintain large link lists, called blogrolls, that usually sit on the blog’s home page. The weakness of the blog link lists is their volume, providing less than optimal PageRank and link popularity passage, as it’s divided among large numbers of receiving blogs and websites.
What the blog link popularity lacks in amount of what is passed along, is made up for in theme relevance and quantity. Blog links are literally a volume business. Note that reciprocal blog links don’t appear to suffer any downgrading, as is often the case for static sites. Incoming links, including reciprocal links, are effective for blogs.
On page blog optimization techniques
Blogs are optimized using the same techniques as static websites. Keep in mind that a blog is simply another website. What works in the search engines for other sites will also work for optimizing a blog.
Blogger assists the blog writer by building in many optimization features, that enable a blog to compete in less competitive searches, even if no other optimization techniques are applied.
The blog title is important, and should be chosen carefully to reflect the topics and themes of the blog. Many blog titles are frivolous, and provide little search engine value. Including at least one important keyword in the title is recommended.
The title is important as it forms part of the URL sub-domain. Combining a keyword enriched title with the blog URL is often enough to compete for non-competitive searches.
As the regular posts are added to the blog, each one generates a unique page with its own URL. Since the blog title forms part of that URL, it’s important that it contain some keyword, as the blog title is at the front of the URL.
The individual page URL contains all of a short blog post headline, and most of some longer ones. For that reason, place the targeted keywords early in a blog post headline to ensure their conclusion. Blogger publishes the page URLs, with the headline words separated by dashes, in accordance with the Google preference for dashes over underscores.
The blog title tags are readily and easily changed in Blogger, to reflect any targeted keywords and phrases. Because the blog itself is a website sub-domain, altering the title tag is a very powerful option for any blogger to utilize.
The Blogger supplied templates are pre-written with h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, and h6 tags. The headings are placed in the heading tags automatically, providing an instant search engine advantage for the blog. The templates are fully CSS compatible and welcome both additional CSS and html coding.
Blogs are well crawled by the major and lesser known search engine spiders. Because the posts are so frequent, the spiders return to reindex the blog, on at least a daily basis.
By pinging the blog, which is notifying the specialized blog search engines and RSS aggregators of an update, the blog reaches a huge audience including media outlets. A good one stop multiple site pinger is Ping-O-Matic.
Three very powerful optimization tools are missing from Blogger templates, and would be very helpful in improving searches for Blogger hosted blogs.
One missing item is categories. Blogger users can't place their posts into theme related categories. The ability of other blog hosts to provide categories gives those blogs a bit of a theme related SEO advantage. That is to say nothing of the benefit to the blog readers of neatly organized categories for related links.
Blogger doesn't provide a related links feature that lets readers find additional posts on the same blog topic. Another benefit to readers, and to the search engines due to the loss of an internal link, is missed by Blogger.
A third issue is the lack of internal "tag" coding. Blogger users are required to write their own tag code for Technorati and other users of post tags for search. As embedded linked keywords, tags are also very powerful for creating themes in search engines.
There appears to be little, if any discrimination against Blogger and other free hosted blogs among the members of the media, and other blog RSS feed subscribers.
Link power of blogs
Much of the search engine optimization power of blogs is through their extensive linking networks. Blog owners are free and generous linkers. They link to other blogs permanently, usually from the high PageRank home page, and freely link to what they consider interesting blog posts.
Not only are posts linked frequently by other bloggers, but the on page link is often from a post to a post. As a bonus, the link is usually dripping with important keywords and phrases.
Links from other blogs tend to be very theme relevant in content, as bloggers link to articles, blog posts, and other blogs that are of interest to themselves and to their readership. One way incoming links are a very frequent event for bloggers.
Reciprocal blog links don’t appear to be discounted by Google or the other major search engines, as the exchanges are usually between theme related blogs. Blog owners should, however, exert some level of caution, regarding link exchanges with non-theme relevant blogs, as those incoming links might not receive full value.
Linking to and from Blogger is easy, and the template provides an unlimited sidebar area for the inclusion of html links, to other blogs and traditional websites. Links can also be coded within the posts themselves, right at the time of post composition, using simple embedded html conversions.
The Blogger posts are archived after a chosen time period of usually one week, into one month long archive sections. Those time frames are changeable in the Blogger settings, for longer or shorter durations.
The internal linking of the pages is precoded by Blogger, enabling PageRank link popularity, and link anchor text to pass freely from one page to another. The pre-written code can also be altered should the blogger prefer a different internal linking structure.
Conclusion
Hosting a blog on a free host like Google owned Blogger need not be a disadvantage to achieving high search engine rankings. Simply apply recommended standard SEO optimization techniques and the blog will do very well in the SERPs.
The Blogger supplied, and readily alterable templates contain many powerful optimization features by default, including h1 tags, CSS, and strong internal page linkage, to name just a few.
Be sure to keep in mind that the blog URL shows a sub-domain. Because of that limitation, care should be taken with the blog title, title tags, and the headlines given to the regular blog posts.
The power of the many keyword rich anchor text incoming links, from theme related blogs and websites, will go far towards reaching the top of the rankings.
The links are to be expected because of the regular posting of theme relevant content. Other bloggers will link naturally to the blog, with the highly potent one way link.
Be sure to add your own tag code for using those powerful search tools.
The blog combination of fresh keyword rich content and relevant incoming links will propel the blog, and a related website, to the top of the SERPs.
While it’s always a better policy to own your own blog domain, don’t be afraid of a free blog host, if you are short of cash.
Even a free hosted blog is highly powered in the search engines.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Friday, September 9, 2005
Blog links: Looking internally for connections
When website owners and bloggers think of linking, they are usually referring to inbound links from external websites and blogs.
While adding more incoming links from pages in external sites is very important, it’s very easy to forget the internal linkage factors at work in your own blog.
The blog’s incoming links provide Google PageRank to the receiving web page. The inbound links boost both the page itself, and help the blog overall, receive additional link popularity boost. The links received from external sources are only part of the overall linking program for a website or blog.
Some very important link popularity increases will arise directly from a website’s internal linkage system. In fact, some improvements in the site linking and navigation can give a site a major boost in the search engines. This very important optimization technique is often ignored by link seeking website owners.
Think inside the box, and check over how the internal linking of the site is working, or not working, on your website’s behalf. It’s not a complicated procedure, but is one that can pay large dividends in better search engine rankings and stronger sales of products and services.
The revenue increase will result, from the site becoming easier to navigate, for to the benefit of the site’s visitor traffic. If a site is difficult to move around, the potential customer will simply leave, and seek out a site that is provides better usability.
Several factors require examination for improving a website’s internal linking system. As a starting point, every website needs a good, easy to navigate site map.
The site should also have easy to read, understand, and use menus, to enable the visitor to get to where she wants to travel within the site. If flash menu buttons are used, additional html links should be included as a precaution against possible search engine spider omissions.
Footer links, while not the most powerful of navigational tools, will help provide additional links to the site’s pages. The various clickable links should contain keyword link anchor text relevant to the receiving web page, to emphasise the page’s theme for the search engines.
By setting up a solid easy to use internal linking system, with proper use of keyword anchor text, a site will gain higher placements in the search engines. The improved usability will result in much stronger online sales because of the ease of site navigation for the potential customers and clients.
Setting your sights on a site map
Having a good easy to understand site map is an essential element of any good website. Not only does the site map help boost a site’s search engine rankings, but helps the visitor traffic find the information they seek while clicking around the site’s pages.
Surprisingly, not every website has a site map as part of the overall design. Those website owners should be rectifying that situation as soon as possible.
As with any linking structure, the first consideration for the site map should be the website users. If they can’t find the information required, they will simply leave the site, and give their money to a competitor. Fortunately, that scenerio doesn’t have to happen to your site. The site map remedies part of that problem with one fell swoop.
When setting up the site map, group the various internal directories into overall themes. Put related topics together, to reinforce one another’s theme relevance. By doing so, you are helping the search engine spider recognize the overall themes and topics of the website.
A well developed site map also enables the spiders to crawl deeper into a site’s directories by providing entries to those deeper web pages.
The close interconnection of themes means better rankings in Google, Yahoo, and MSN Search. Site themes are a very important part of the search algorithms of all major search engines.
A well designed site map also means easier usability for your potential paying customers. More convenient site navigation means your visitors can more easily purchase products and services from your site. Talk about getting good bang for the buck.
When setting up the site map, make certain that each link to the receiving page contains link anchor text specific to that page. For example, if the receiving page is about blue widgets, place the keyword phrase blue widgets in the site map link. The additional anchor text, pointing to the desired page, targets that page for that search term.
The added link anchor text reinforces the theme of the receiving page for the search engines, providing an added boost in the search rankings. The keywords also aid the site user by providing direct information about the content of the page being linked.
Ordering off the site menu
Every page of the website should contain an easily located and simple to use page menu. Without a menu, of course, no visitor could ever find their way around the website. A well designed menu should also be helpful to the search engine spiders as they crawl around the site.
Like the related site map, the more pathways available to the spiders, the more deeply and completely a site will be crawled and indexed. Having more pages indexed, on a regular basis, assists in search engine rankings as well.
When designing menu buttons for a site, the best ones use simple html coding to reach the other site pages. Often, a site designer will use flash buttons to create a more exciting look to the site. While perhaps appealing to the eye, the flash button menu might not be the choice of the search engine spiders.
While it’s believed that the various spiders can and will crawl flash links, they will find it more difficult. It’s far easier to provide html links, even as a backup system.
Making life easier for the spiders pays off in the search engine results pages (SERPs). As with all links, make certain that descriptive keyword anchor text is part of all page connecting links, to reinforce theme relevance.
Using footer links to get an extra kick
Footer links are almost standard at the bottom of every web page. They are placed there for a reason. Should the spiders not be able to fully crawl a site, or the visitor not be able to easily navigate the site, the footer links ensure that movement around the site is facilitated.
As an opportunity to use good keyword rich link anchor text, footer links are a real boon to the site optimization efforts. In fact, the anchor text choice can enhance even the often neglected Home and About Us pages. At the very least, the anchor text for Home should be Business Name Home. The anchor text for About Us should read, at minimum, About Company Name.
While more powerful link anchor text than the site title would be a better choice, at least use of the company name points those pages out in a clearer fashion, for the site visitor.
If the company or blog name includes a targeted keyword, some added search engine benefit is derived as well. In any case, the better link anchor text will assist in maintaining the overall site theme. Note that the footer anchor text places some extra keyword density on the page.
Link anchor text ties the blog themes together
When creating internal site links, the single most important thing to remember is to always use keywords in the anchor text, that reflect the theme of the receiving page. The use of keyword relevant link anchor text is especially important to link obsessed Google, but is also valuable for higher rankings in Yahoo and MSN Search.
The choice of wording for clickable links on the site map, the site menus, and the page footers should reflect the targeted keywords for the linked to page.
The link anchor text tells the search engines what is the important theme for the page being reached by the link. If the receiving page is targeted and optimized for red widgets, the link anchor text should reflect that goal.
Link text for blue widgets would only be half as effective, and should be reserved for linking to the blue widget page. Don’t use the link text of red widgets for the clickable link to any pages other than the red widget page.
Diluting the anchor text drops the total value to the receiving page by sending what amounts to mixed messages to the search engines. Keep the anchor text relevance clean and concentrated to the targeted page only.
The link anchor text is even more effective, if the page receiving the link has the anchor text in its title tags, and even in the page unique URL. Of course, the on page content should include the keyword phrase at the appropriate density. The overall benefit is derived from the concentration of theme relevance.
Conclusion
While gaining benefits from the search engines, a properly linked site aids the users of the site as well. Better site navigation helps visitors find the desired information, resulting in longer website stays. As a result, more opportunities for conversion from visitor to paying customer are created.
A proper internal blog link structure assists a site or blog in both the search engine rankings and in overall website based sales.
It’s time to redesign your blog’s internal linking structure and improve the existing link anchor text to better target your most important keyword phrases for each linked page.
It pays dividends in more ways than one.
While adding more incoming links from pages in external sites is very important, it’s very easy to forget the internal linkage factors at work in your own blog.
The blog’s incoming links provide Google PageRank to the receiving web page. The inbound links boost both the page itself, and help the blog overall, receive additional link popularity boost. The links received from external sources are only part of the overall linking program for a website or blog.
Some very important link popularity increases will arise directly from a website’s internal linkage system. In fact, some improvements in the site linking and navigation can give a site a major boost in the search engines. This very important optimization technique is often ignored by link seeking website owners.
Think inside the box, and check over how the internal linking of the site is working, or not working, on your website’s behalf. It’s not a complicated procedure, but is one that can pay large dividends in better search engine rankings and stronger sales of products and services.
The revenue increase will result, from the site becoming easier to navigate, for to the benefit of the site’s visitor traffic. If a site is difficult to move around, the potential customer will simply leave, and seek out a site that is provides better usability.
Several factors require examination for improving a website’s internal linking system. As a starting point, every website needs a good, easy to navigate site map.
The site should also have easy to read, understand, and use menus, to enable the visitor to get to where she wants to travel within the site. If flash menu buttons are used, additional html links should be included as a precaution against possible search engine spider omissions.
Footer links, while not the most powerful of navigational tools, will help provide additional links to the site’s pages. The various clickable links should contain keyword link anchor text relevant to the receiving web page, to emphasise the page’s theme for the search engines.
By setting up a solid easy to use internal linking system, with proper use of keyword anchor text, a site will gain higher placements in the search engines. The improved usability will result in much stronger online sales because of the ease of site navigation for the potential customers and clients.
Setting your sights on a site map
Having a good easy to understand site map is an essential element of any good website. Not only does the site map help boost a site’s search engine rankings, but helps the visitor traffic find the information they seek while clicking around the site’s pages.
Surprisingly, not every website has a site map as part of the overall design. Those website owners should be rectifying that situation as soon as possible.
As with any linking structure, the first consideration for the site map should be the website users. If they can’t find the information required, they will simply leave the site, and give their money to a competitor. Fortunately, that scenerio doesn’t have to happen to your site. The site map remedies part of that problem with one fell swoop.
When setting up the site map, group the various internal directories into overall themes. Put related topics together, to reinforce one another’s theme relevance. By doing so, you are helping the search engine spider recognize the overall themes and topics of the website.
A well developed site map also enables the spiders to crawl deeper into a site’s directories by providing entries to those deeper web pages.
The close interconnection of themes means better rankings in Google, Yahoo, and MSN Search. Site themes are a very important part of the search algorithms of all major search engines.
A well designed site map also means easier usability for your potential paying customers. More convenient site navigation means your visitors can more easily purchase products and services from your site. Talk about getting good bang for the buck.
When setting up the site map, make certain that each link to the receiving page contains link anchor text specific to that page. For example, if the receiving page is about blue widgets, place the keyword phrase blue widgets in the site map link. The additional anchor text, pointing to the desired page, targets that page for that search term.
The added link anchor text reinforces the theme of the receiving page for the search engines, providing an added boost in the search rankings. The keywords also aid the site user by providing direct information about the content of the page being linked.
Ordering off the site menu
Every page of the website should contain an easily located and simple to use page menu. Without a menu, of course, no visitor could ever find their way around the website. A well designed menu should also be helpful to the search engine spiders as they crawl around the site.
Like the related site map, the more pathways available to the spiders, the more deeply and completely a site will be crawled and indexed. Having more pages indexed, on a regular basis, assists in search engine rankings as well.
When designing menu buttons for a site, the best ones use simple html coding to reach the other site pages. Often, a site designer will use flash buttons to create a more exciting look to the site. While perhaps appealing to the eye, the flash button menu might not be the choice of the search engine spiders.
While it’s believed that the various spiders can and will crawl flash links, they will find it more difficult. It’s far easier to provide html links, even as a backup system.
Making life easier for the spiders pays off in the search engine results pages (SERPs). As with all links, make certain that descriptive keyword anchor text is part of all page connecting links, to reinforce theme relevance.
Using footer links to get an extra kick
Footer links are almost standard at the bottom of every web page. They are placed there for a reason. Should the spiders not be able to fully crawl a site, or the visitor not be able to easily navigate the site, the footer links ensure that movement around the site is facilitated.
As an opportunity to use good keyword rich link anchor text, footer links are a real boon to the site optimization efforts. In fact, the anchor text choice can enhance even the often neglected Home and About Us pages. At the very least, the anchor text for Home should be Business Name Home. The anchor text for About Us should read, at minimum, About Company Name.
While more powerful link anchor text than the site title would be a better choice, at least use of the company name points those pages out in a clearer fashion, for the site visitor.
If the company or blog name includes a targeted keyword, some added search engine benefit is derived as well. In any case, the better link anchor text will assist in maintaining the overall site theme. Note that the footer anchor text places some extra keyword density on the page.
Link anchor text ties the blog themes together
When creating internal site links, the single most important thing to remember is to always use keywords in the anchor text, that reflect the theme of the receiving page. The use of keyword relevant link anchor text is especially important to link obsessed Google, but is also valuable for higher rankings in Yahoo and MSN Search.
The choice of wording for clickable links on the site map, the site menus, and the page footers should reflect the targeted keywords for the linked to page.
The link anchor text tells the search engines what is the important theme for the page being reached by the link. If the receiving page is targeted and optimized for red widgets, the link anchor text should reflect that goal.
Link text for blue widgets would only be half as effective, and should be reserved for linking to the blue widget page. Don’t use the link text of red widgets for the clickable link to any pages other than the red widget page.
Diluting the anchor text drops the total value to the receiving page by sending what amounts to mixed messages to the search engines. Keep the anchor text relevance clean and concentrated to the targeted page only.
The link anchor text is even more effective, if the page receiving the link has the anchor text in its title tags, and even in the page unique URL. Of course, the on page content should include the keyword phrase at the appropriate density. The overall benefit is derived from the concentration of theme relevance.
Conclusion
While gaining benefits from the search engines, a properly linked site aids the users of the site as well. Better site navigation helps visitors find the desired information, resulting in longer website stays. As a result, more opportunities for conversion from visitor to paying customer are created.
A proper internal blog link structure assists a site or blog in both the search engine rankings and in overall website based sales.
It’s time to redesign your blog’s internal linking structure and improve the existing link anchor text to better target your most important keyword phrases for each linked page.
It pays dividends in more ways than one.
Thursday, September 8, 2005
Landing pages: Targeted sales makers
Website landing pages are often one of the most neglected sales points for many website owners. As a result, thousands and even millions of dollars worth of sales are lost. The potential customers and clients often never return to the site. Like the sales, they are gone forever.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Targeted landing pages are a powerful tool to increase a online business’s sales conversions. Turning even a few extra visitors into paying customers or clients, can mean a substantial increase in the company bottom line. Instead of wasting the click throughs to your website, put them to work for you, and increase your business revenue.
As everyone is aware, the landing page is the entry point on a website where a visitor reaches from an inbound link. That link could be from an e-mail newsletter offer, a paid or free advertisement, a pay per click or sponsored listing, a blog link, or even from another page within the website itself.
Of course, any specialized to an offer landing page is superior to having the potential customer enter through the site home page. All too often, however, that conversion opportunity is wasted by weak marketing copy and unfocused content, on the landing page itself.
The importance of landing pages
E-mail marketers have long known the value of creating a specialized landing page to receive the click throughs from a newsletter promotion. As part of the process, a unique new web page is created that repeats the offer to the prospect, and carries through to the final sale closing. The page’s only purpose is to sell the product or service highlighted in the e-mail newsletter.
Most e-mail newsletter editors understand, after countless attempts, that the site home page is not the best place to send prospective customers. The page is simply too general, and is not focussed directly on conversions to paying customers. The home page is more of an introduction to the business in general. The landing page is a targeted sales page. That’s the difference.
The uses for a targeted landing page are not limited to e-mail marketers. Specialized sales pages should be utilized by every serious internet marketer. The ways to use the landing page are virtually unlimited. In fact, almost any incoming link can be aimed toward a page, especially designed to convert any visitors who click to it.
Even more emphasis should be placed on the landing pages for pay per click programs or from paid advertisements. Obviously, because every paid ad or click through costs real money, the onus is on the website owner to ensure as high a conversion rate as possible.
It’s strange to see many pay per clicks land helplessly on a site’s home page. Instead, the link should be to a targeted sales page, specifically selling the product or service being offered. The conversion rate of a sales page should far exceed that of almost any homepage.
Help the landing page make conversions
The purpose of the landing page is to sell a targeted product or service. Nothing else. For that reason, the page should be focussed strictly for sales. It should not be treated as a general visitor introduction page.
The language and content of the page, especially if reached from a newsletter offer or pay per click, should have only the goal of conversion in mind. Stick to the product or service being offered. Don’t bring in peripheral topics. Save them for their own targeted pages. Keep your eye on the sales prize.
Write the sales copy to lead the prospect directly toward becoming a paying customer. Throughout the page, provide hot links to the shopping cart or order form, as some people will reach their buying point earlier than others.
Take advantage of that buying tendency, and make it easy to buy, at the point when the prospect is ready. When a new product benefit is introduced in the copy, it should be accompanied by a buying link.
Be upfront about the benefits of purchase, while being entirely honest about the price, and about the shipping and handling charges. Avoid surprises at the shopping cart stage, as they could scuttle the sale.
Assure the prospect that their purchase is fully guaranteed. Don’t be afraid to provide a complete money back guarantee. Very few people will request it, and the reassurance of standing behind the product will create vastly more sales than will request a refund. The numbers favor a strong money back guarantee.
Conclusion
Stop throwing away precious advertising and pay per click dollars, and losing potential sales from your e-mail newsletter by sending the customer to the site homepage.
Create a well written, marketing oriented landing page for receiving the click throughs.
Your business bottom line will thank you.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Targeted landing pages are a powerful tool to increase a online business’s sales conversions. Turning even a few extra visitors into paying customers or clients, can mean a substantial increase in the company bottom line. Instead of wasting the click throughs to your website, put them to work for you, and increase your business revenue.
As everyone is aware, the landing page is the entry point on a website where a visitor reaches from an inbound link. That link could be from an e-mail newsletter offer, a paid or free advertisement, a pay per click or sponsored listing, a blog link, or even from another page within the website itself.
Of course, any specialized to an offer landing page is superior to having the potential customer enter through the site home page. All too often, however, that conversion opportunity is wasted by weak marketing copy and unfocused content, on the landing page itself.
The importance of landing pages
E-mail marketers have long known the value of creating a specialized landing page to receive the click throughs from a newsletter promotion. As part of the process, a unique new web page is created that repeats the offer to the prospect, and carries through to the final sale closing. The page’s only purpose is to sell the product or service highlighted in the e-mail newsletter.
Most e-mail newsletter editors understand, after countless attempts, that the site home page is not the best place to send prospective customers. The page is simply too general, and is not focussed directly on conversions to paying customers. The home page is more of an introduction to the business in general. The landing page is a targeted sales page. That’s the difference.
The uses for a targeted landing page are not limited to e-mail marketers. Specialized sales pages should be utilized by every serious internet marketer. The ways to use the landing page are virtually unlimited. In fact, almost any incoming link can be aimed toward a page, especially designed to convert any visitors who click to it.
Even more emphasis should be placed on the landing pages for pay per click programs or from paid advertisements. Obviously, because every paid ad or click through costs real money, the onus is on the website owner to ensure as high a conversion rate as possible.
It’s strange to see many pay per clicks land helplessly on a site’s home page. Instead, the link should be to a targeted sales page, specifically selling the product or service being offered. The conversion rate of a sales page should far exceed that of almost any homepage.
Help the landing page make conversions
The purpose of the landing page is to sell a targeted product or service. Nothing else. For that reason, the page should be focussed strictly for sales. It should not be treated as a general visitor introduction page.
The language and content of the page, especially if reached from a newsletter offer or pay per click, should have only the goal of conversion in mind. Stick to the product or service being offered. Don’t bring in peripheral topics. Save them for their own targeted pages. Keep your eye on the sales prize.
Write the sales copy to lead the prospect directly toward becoming a paying customer. Throughout the page, provide hot links to the shopping cart or order form, as some people will reach their buying point earlier than others.
Take advantage of that buying tendency, and make it easy to buy, at the point when the prospect is ready. When a new product benefit is introduced in the copy, it should be accompanied by a buying link.
Be upfront about the benefits of purchase, while being entirely honest about the price, and about the shipping and handling charges. Avoid surprises at the shopping cart stage, as they could scuttle the sale.
Assure the prospect that their purchase is fully guaranteed. Don’t be afraid to provide a complete money back guarantee. Very few people will request it, and the reassurance of standing behind the product will create vastly more sales than will request a refund. The numbers favor a strong money back guarantee.
Conclusion
Stop throwing away precious advertising and pay per click dollars, and losing potential sales from your e-mail newsletter by sending the customer to the site homepage.
Create a well written, marketing oriented landing page for receiving the click throughs.
Your business bottom line will thank you.
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Carnival of the Vanities at Sortapundit
The 155th edition of the longest running internet blog carnival, the well known Carnival of the Vanities, is up at Keith Taylor's British political and eclectic topic blog known as Sortapundit.
As an added bonus, Keith has written some pseudo-haiku poetry for each and every post.
Carnival of the Vanities is the original collection of blog postings, assembling some of the best and wide ranging bloggers on the internet.
This week's Carnival of the Vanities entries include politics, literature, science, medicine, technology, business, culture, comedy, and sports.
I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Vanities as well.
My entry is titled "Blog comments: Help for all bloggers" where I discuss the value to both the blogger and the reader of writing well thought out comments on other blogs.The possibilities may surprise you.
To participate in the Carnival of the Vanities, or any of the other blog carnivals, one of the easiest techniques is to use the all inclusive carnival entry form at The Conservative Cat.
Another participation option is to simply e-mail your entry to the host of the week.
That's what I usually do.
As I suggest elsewhere, hosting and contributing to the various internet blog carnivals is a great promotional idea for your blog.
Next week's edition of Carnival of the Vanities returns home to Silflay Hraka, the birthplace of Carnival of the Vanities for its third blogiversary.
In the meantime, head on over to the Sortapundit hostin of Carnival of the Vanities and enjoy the posts on offer.
You will almost certainly be introduced to some great new blogs.
As an added bonus, Keith has written some pseudo-haiku poetry for each and every post.
Carnival of the Vanities is the original collection of blog postings, assembling some of the best and wide ranging bloggers on the internet.
This week's Carnival of the Vanities entries include politics, literature, science, medicine, technology, business, culture, comedy, and sports.
I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Vanities as well.
My entry is titled "Blog comments: Help for all bloggers" where I discuss the value to both the blogger and the reader of writing well thought out comments on other blogs.The possibilities may surprise you.
To participate in the Carnival of the Vanities, or any of the other blog carnivals, one of the easiest techniques is to use the all inclusive carnival entry form at The Conservative Cat.
Another participation option is to simply e-mail your entry to the host of the week.
That's what I usually do.
As I suggest elsewhere, hosting and contributing to the various internet blog carnivals is a great promotional idea for your blog.
Next week's edition of Carnival of the Vanities returns home to Silflay Hraka, the birthplace of Carnival of the Vanities for its third blogiversary.
In the meantime, head on over to the Sortapundit hostin of Carnival of the Vanities and enjoy the posts on offer.
You will almost certainly be introduced to some great new blogs.
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Carnival of the Capitalists at Rethink (IP)
This week sees a legal and intellectual property blawg approach to the travelling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists makes a visit to the group legal and intellectual property blog (or blawg) known as Rethink (IP).
This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists highlights some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today.
Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, market trading, internet commerce, marketing, the national and global economies, and technology.
As you would expect from Rethink (IP), there are many discussions of business, law, and markeing.
It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.
We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones.
As I am always privileged to do, I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.
My entry post this week is titled "Management rules: Same requirements for all" where I discuss how all employees at the same level should have the same expectations of performance and the same compensation. Preferential treatment of the old boys netwrok harms the company, alienates other employees, and hampers the introduction of creative and innovative new ideas.
If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to the new address:
cotcmail -at- gmail -dot- com
You can always use the handy entry form at Gongol.com where all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Talk about making it easy to be included!
Another brand new form for sending entries to all of the internet carnvivals is provided by The Conservative Cat. This is a great one stop entry drop, for all your blog post entries, for every blog carnival.
If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.
Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.
The extra visitors can't sent to your blog won't hurt either!
The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. Each hosting, brings a fresh assortment of new readers, to the various blogs involved.
The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.
Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.
Many people are introduced to some tremendous blogs that they might otherwise have missed.
Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists will be at Evelyn Rodriguez's innovation, leadership, creative thinking, and business blog known as Crossroads Dispatches.
In the meantime, click that mouse over to the Rethink (IP) hosting of Carnival of the Capitalists.
If the great posted entries don't convince you to click, or the possibility of finding some brand new blogs to read doesn't do it, then Carnival of the Capitalists certainly will offer you some intellectual property. (groan)
Monday, September 5, 2005
Group blogs: More writers the better
Group blogs are always of interest to me. They should be of interest to you as well.
You know the blogs I'm talking about. They are the blogs that have several or even dozens of different writers and contributors. The most obvious advantages of group blogs are the sheer numbers of contributors. By having many writers adding posts to the blog, the pressure is somewhat removed from the principle blogger to post.
As many bloggers know all too well, that pressure to post can be immense. No one wants to let their loyal readers down by leaving the blog unposted for any lengthy time period. Often, however, a busy person doesn't have time to post as often as desirable. Business and career often push a one person blog to the back burner.
On the internet in general, and in the blogosphere in particular, two weeks is like an eternity in the three dimensional world. It's at least very close to an eternity anyway in terms of internet time. Blog time is just about the length of time required for a post to scroll off the blog home page. There is little as past as a blog post in the blog archives; rarely to be read again.
No fresh updates means a potential loss of readership and visitor numbers. That's a nightmare faced by many bloggers as well. A loss of readership traffic might not be the most important factor in a blog's demise, but is often a contributor. The lower vistor totals is often discouraging to the writer, occasionally leading to blog abandonnment
The group blog removes that constant pressure to post, but replaces it with other problems.
Sometimes the quality of posters is not comparable. Some people are simply better writers or more interesting and informative than others. Many bloggers can't be depended upon to contribute their minimal number of posts, or to blog on their assigned days or topics. Holes can develop in the team fabric very quickly as a result.
The onus is on the team formulating the group blog to select quality bloggers, from the very beginning. Choose quality over quantity every time.
In fact, choosing well known quality bloggers and forming a team, can bring an instant ready made readership. Each blogger in the group provides a percentage of their own readers to the new group blog, simply by many of the regulars following their favourite bloggers.
Don't expect a complete transfer of readership, however. Many readers prefer to stick with their regular blogs, and won't visit the new group blog very often. That problem is offset by the other members of the team sending some of their main visitor traffic to the new group blog.
Links to and from the member blogs help develop visitor traffic and higher search engine rankings from the date of the blog's initial launch. Cross linking results in a sharing of readership and visitor traffic to the benefit of all concerned.
A group blog is a great way for a band of like minded bloggers to work together for the benefit of all.
Consider starting a group blog today.
You know the blogs I'm talking about. They are the blogs that have several or even dozens of different writers and contributors. The most obvious advantages of group blogs are the sheer numbers of contributors. By having many writers adding posts to the blog, the pressure is somewhat removed from the principle blogger to post.
As many bloggers know all too well, that pressure to post can be immense. No one wants to let their loyal readers down by leaving the blog unposted for any lengthy time period. Often, however, a busy person doesn't have time to post as often as desirable. Business and career often push a one person blog to the back burner.
On the internet in general, and in the blogosphere in particular, two weeks is like an eternity in the three dimensional world. It's at least very close to an eternity anyway in terms of internet time. Blog time is just about the length of time required for a post to scroll off the blog home page. There is little as past as a blog post in the blog archives; rarely to be read again.
No fresh updates means a potential loss of readership and visitor numbers. That's a nightmare faced by many bloggers as well. A loss of readership traffic might not be the most important factor in a blog's demise, but is often a contributor. The lower vistor totals is often discouraging to the writer, occasionally leading to blog abandonnment
The group blog removes that constant pressure to post, but replaces it with other problems.
Sometimes the quality of posters is not comparable. Some people are simply better writers or more interesting and informative than others. Many bloggers can't be depended upon to contribute their minimal number of posts, or to blog on their assigned days or topics. Holes can develop in the team fabric very quickly as a result.
The onus is on the team formulating the group blog to select quality bloggers, from the very beginning. Choose quality over quantity every time.
In fact, choosing well known quality bloggers and forming a team, can bring an instant ready made readership. Each blogger in the group provides a percentage of their own readers to the new group blog, simply by many of the regulars following their favourite bloggers.
Don't expect a complete transfer of readership, however. Many readers prefer to stick with their regular blogs, and won't visit the new group blog very often. That problem is offset by the other members of the team sending some of their main visitor traffic to the new group blog.
Links to and from the member blogs help develop visitor traffic and higher search engine rankings from the date of the blog's initial launch. Cross linking results in a sharing of readership and visitor traffic to the benefit of all concerned.
A group blog is a great way for a band of like minded bloggers to work together for the benefit of all.
Consider starting a group blog today.
Sunday, September 4, 2005
Free teleseminar: Conversations with experts - Arielle Ford
Everything You Should Know About Publishing, Publicity, Promotion & Building a Platform
Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff of Build a Better Blog System.
Wednesday, September 7, 2005, 8:30 p.m. EDT
Guest Expert: Arielle Ford of Everything You Should Know
Arielle Ford, whose envied PR strategies catapulted the career of mind-body medicine leader Deepak Chopra and introduced the multi-million dollar Chicken Soup for the Soul series to the world, has helped launch the careers of hundreds of authors, including 11 who made it to No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. Her all-star client list include: Deepak Chopra, Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield, Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Don Miguel Ruiz, Dean Ornish, Louise Hay, and Gary Zukav.
In this conversation, Arielle reveals what publishers are truly looking for these days when they sign a first-time author, and how newcomers can deliver it.
Arielle Ford has long been devoted to bringing the work of top transformational authors to the public. She has worked with icons such as Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson and Jack Canfield. She is author of seven books including Everything You Should Know About Publishing, Publicity, Promotion & Building a Platform: A Step-by-Step Guide for Authors. She is a founding partner of The Spiritual Cinema Circle and the Transformational Book Circle.
Registration for this special conversation with Arielle Ford:
http://www.ConversationsWithExperts.com
Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.
Saturday, September 3, 2005
Blog business connections: Growing small enterprises
Business blogs can lead to some very interesting business arrangements between business bloggers.
Truly wonderful friendships often result from the interaction between bloggers on blog commenting systems, via e-mail, over the telephone, and in person. Blogging is all about communications, and a successful blog is an ongoing conversation between the writer and the readership. The regular and occasional blog readers can be casual searchers, passing blog readers, current or potential customers and clients, or even other bloggers.
Bloggers are natural networkers and connection makers. In fact, it seems like the first thing many bloggers do, as they become familiar with another blogger, is to make contact. Following that initial intorduction, bloggers are known to become friends, business partners, or able to help get other bloggers and non-bloggers connected. The interactions between people are unlimited.
As a business building networking tool, blogs have yet to achieve even a tiny fraction of their full potential. Blogs are still a relatively new phenomenon. As current blog writers, we tend to forget that much of the mainstream internet community doesn't read or own blogs. As for the offline community, any exposure to blogs is peripheral at best, or non-existent at worst.
That said, bloggers and non-bloggers are getting together at a rapid pace. Connections and blogging friendships are forming before our very eyes. You probably have met many close friends yourself, via the blogging community.
Along with these friendships, many mutually beneficial business partnerships are created. With the unlimited range of skills offered by bloggers, and the myriad of blogger personalities, business relationships are inevitable. The opportunities presented by the people involved are too great for things to be otherwise.
With bloggers writing about marketing, public relations, accounting, law, finance, search engines and search engine optimization, direct mail, e-mail newsletters, copywriting, book and iinternet publishing, web design, computer programming, and human resources, the talent pool among bloggers is very deep.
Like an ocean of management personnel, waiting to be sailed by some enterprising bloggers.
Because of this bottomless sea of business skills, it was only a matter of time before various bloggers met up themselves, or through the good offices of one of them many blog "connectors".
Some of the more noted blog connection makers are Paul Chaney of Radiant Marketing Group, Peter Caputa of pc4media, and Jeremy Wright of Ensight.
There are, of course, many more connection building bloggers, who are introducing future business associates and partners to one another, on a daily basis.
In fact, the blog connection concept might eventually turn into a business all by itself. Bloggers definitely become well acquainted with one another at the growing number of important blogging conferences. As a connection vehicle, the blogging conventions and conferences are powerful networking events.
Bloggers looking to form business arrangements, of either a short term or permanent type, could register for a fee. The connector business would screen the possible blog partner options, and set up a number of meetings.
Meetings could be arranged by e-mail, telephone, or conference calls. Perhaps even a web cam could be used to help the bloggers become more familiar with their possible future business associates and partners. Many blogging business partners meet in person as a result of these online discussions.
It would be up to the participants as to whether they wanted to pursue forming a formal business arrangement, of course. Some new businesses could result, rannging from a one time short term project, to emergence as a a budding corporation. The same connection idea could be used to introduce business owners and managers, to some highly skilled sub-contractors, for projects of varying time duration.
Blog connections are one powerful means to create profitable small and medium sized businesses of the future. The talent pool in the blogosphere is second to none. The residents of the blogging community are experienced hands on practical people, who get the job done.
Just like you.
Get connected with other bloggers today. They have the talent and experience that all startup businesses require for success.
You might have the startup of a successful business on your hands, as a direct result of becoming a business blogger.
Truly wonderful friendships often result from the interaction between bloggers on blog commenting systems, via e-mail, over the telephone, and in person. Blogging is all about communications, and a successful blog is an ongoing conversation between the writer and the readership. The regular and occasional blog readers can be casual searchers, passing blog readers, current or potential customers and clients, or even other bloggers.
Bloggers are natural networkers and connection makers. In fact, it seems like the first thing many bloggers do, as they become familiar with another blogger, is to make contact. Following that initial intorduction, bloggers are known to become friends, business partners, or able to help get other bloggers and non-bloggers connected. The interactions between people are unlimited.
As a business building networking tool, blogs have yet to achieve even a tiny fraction of their full potential. Blogs are still a relatively new phenomenon. As current blog writers, we tend to forget that much of the mainstream internet community doesn't read or own blogs. As for the offline community, any exposure to blogs is peripheral at best, or non-existent at worst.
That said, bloggers and non-bloggers are getting together at a rapid pace. Connections and blogging friendships are forming before our very eyes. You probably have met many close friends yourself, via the blogging community.
Along with these friendships, many mutually beneficial business partnerships are created. With the unlimited range of skills offered by bloggers, and the myriad of blogger personalities, business relationships are inevitable. The opportunities presented by the people involved are too great for things to be otherwise.
With bloggers writing about marketing, public relations, accounting, law, finance, search engines and search engine optimization, direct mail, e-mail newsletters, copywriting, book and iinternet publishing, web design, computer programming, and human resources, the talent pool among bloggers is very deep.
Like an ocean of management personnel, waiting to be sailed by some enterprising bloggers.
Because of this bottomless sea of business skills, it was only a matter of time before various bloggers met up themselves, or through the good offices of one of them many blog "connectors".
Some of the more noted blog connection makers are Paul Chaney of Radiant Marketing Group, Peter Caputa of pc4media, and Jeremy Wright of Ensight.
There are, of course, many more connection building bloggers, who are introducing future business associates and partners to one another, on a daily basis.
In fact, the blog connection concept might eventually turn into a business all by itself. Bloggers definitely become well acquainted with one another at the growing number of important blogging conferences. As a connection vehicle, the blogging conventions and conferences are powerful networking events.
Bloggers looking to form business arrangements, of either a short term or permanent type, could register for a fee. The connector business would screen the possible blog partner options, and set up a number of meetings.
Meetings could be arranged by e-mail, telephone, or conference calls. Perhaps even a web cam could be used to help the bloggers become more familiar with their possible future business associates and partners. Many blogging business partners meet in person as a result of these online discussions.
It would be up to the participants as to whether they wanted to pursue forming a formal business arrangement, of course. Some new businesses could result, rannging from a one time short term project, to emergence as a a budding corporation. The same connection idea could be used to introduce business owners and managers, to some highly skilled sub-contractors, for projects of varying time duration.
Blog connections are one powerful means to create profitable small and medium sized businesses of the future. The talent pool in the blogosphere is second to none. The residents of the blogging community are experienced hands on practical people, who get the job done.
Just like you.
Get connected with other bloggers today. They have the talent and experience that all startup businesses require for success.
You might have the startup of a successful business on your hands, as a direct result of becoming a business blogger.
Friday, September 2, 2005
Small business blogs: Where are they?
Small business blogs. Where are they?
This is the question posed by my good friend Anita Campbell writing on
She strongly advises all business people to monitor and read as many small business blogs as possible. The information contained in small business blogs is practical and powerful. It's news you and your own small business can use.
Anita reminds her readers that small business blogs can be easily found in the various blog directories. All of them list business, marketing, public relations, human resources, and other business related themes and topics. You can find a list of blog directories on my Blog Resources links section.
There is little doubt of the power of a business blog for a small business owner, manager, or entrepreneur. Whether the business venture is in the startup phase, or the compnay has been in operation for generations, there is value to adding a business blog component to the company's marketing and public relations efforts.
The relationship built through conversation between blogger and reader is beyond value. The putting of a human face and voice to a business can only be measured in the results. Let's call them Before Blog and After Blog. With few exceptions, a business will be more effective After Blog than any time before the addition of this powerful marketing tool. The interpersonal relationship marketing is simply that strong an attractor for new customers.
Instead of expensive advertising or marketing campaigns that are often priced well beyond the means of the budding entrepreneur or seasoned business professional, try launching a business blog instead. The investment in the blog is time and talent, and your own personality. When cash is scarce, your own sweat equity might be all that you can offer. A blog is the ideal vehicle for just such a business.
Take a tip from Anita Campbell, monitor and read small business blogs for ideas and inspriation. You can take that advice one step beyond, and start a small business blog today.
Make this date the first day After Blog.
This is the question posed by my good friend Anita Campbell writing on
She strongly advises all business people to monitor and read as many small business blogs as possible. The information contained in small business blogs is practical and powerful. It's news you and your own small business can use.
Anita reminds her readers that small business blogs can be easily found in the various blog directories. All of them list business, marketing, public relations, human resources, and other business related themes and topics. You can find a list of blog directories on my Blog Resources links section.
There is little doubt of the power of a business blog for a small business owner, manager, or entrepreneur. Whether the business venture is in the startup phase, or the compnay has been in operation for generations, there is value to adding a business blog component to the company's marketing and public relations efforts.
The relationship built through conversation between blogger and reader is beyond value. The putting of a human face and voice to a business can only be measured in the results. Let's call them Before Blog and After Blog. With few exceptions, a business will be more effective After Blog than any time before the addition of this powerful marketing tool. The interpersonal relationship marketing is simply that strong an attractor for new customers.
Instead of expensive advertising or marketing campaigns that are often priced well beyond the means of the budding entrepreneur or seasoned business professional, try launching a business blog instead. The investment in the blog is time and talent, and your own personality. When cash is scarce, your own sweat equity might be all that you can offer. A blog is the ideal vehicle for just such a business.
Take a tip from Anita Campbell, monitor and read small business blogs for ideas and inspriation. You can take that advice one step beyond, and start a small business blog today.
Make this date the first day After Blog.
Thursday, September 1, 2005
Hurricane Katrina assistance: Blog for Relief today
Hurricane Katrina has devestated New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast region with her fury. Bloggers can help and do our part. In fact, it's at times like these when bloggers can make a difference in people's lives.
Today is Blog for Relief day for those hit hard by the fury of Hurricane Katrina. Flood aid is needed desperately by the many people driven from their homes by rising flood water.
The following request for Hurricane Katrina assistance was sent to me by my good friend Paul Chaney of Radiant Marketing Group.
I present the request in its entirety:
Help others today by showing that bloggers care.
Join Blog For Relief today.
Today is Blog for Relief day for those hit hard by the fury of Hurricane Katrina. Flood aid is needed desperately by the many people driven from their homes by rising flood water.
The following request for Hurricane Katrina assistance was sent to me by my good friend Paul Chaney of Radiant Marketing Group.
I present the request in its entirety:
I want to make a special request of you. Living in the state hardest hit by Katrina, Mississippi, I am terribly grieved by the catastrophic consequences of the storm and its devastating effects on the southeast. I'm sure you share that grief as well.
Because my own family has been affected by the ravages of the hurricane, it has become a matter of great personal importance to me.
I want to implore you, if you're not already doing so, to devote some of your posts to crisis and disaster relief information. If there was ever a time the blogosphere can be used to blog for good, this is it. Truly, this is our nation's tsunami.
You are probably aware of tomorrow's Blog for Relief Day. I'd like to urge you to participate. You can find information at Truth Laid Bear.
Thank you.
Paul Chaney
Help others today by showing that bloggers care.
Join Blog For Relief today.
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