Do you track your Web metrics?

The first step to building a successful Web site is to track the metrics - who is visiting, where are they coming from, what are they looking at on your site, how much time do they spend on your site?

You can use Google Metrics, which is a free service provided by Google, or another metric tracking software.

The next step is to start the search for the Google ranking of your Web site based on your key words and the site content.

You can even run a search to see what key words turn up on your site - either planned or unplanned.

Basically, you can plan your march to better Web site ratings and improved visibility if you know what to do and how to do it.

Since merging the Internet Marketing Group into HRB, we have experts who can improve your Internet marketing capabilities - on an ongoing basis. On the Web, there is no longer a fix and forget approach. There is the fix and constantly monitor, tweak and enhance approach. And, adding social media to the mix only makes your efforts move valuable.

Jim Thebeau
Partner, HRB

Public Relations produces in down economy

Want to continue to generate awareness of our product or company while cutting your advertising or marketing budget. Try public relations. Not only is is a lot less expensive than advertising, the media coverage it generates is 3 to 5 times more credible than advertising. And, by reaching out to the media in a targeted way, you can reach a brand new audience for your messages - through print and broadcast media, via blogs and Web sites - so a whole new group of people will read about you.

Try these simple steps:

1. Develop a media list of the media most likely to cover your type of business - local newspapers and business journals, or trade publications, Web sites and bloggers;

2. Create simple news releases about a new product, a new client, a new trend in your industry, remembering to include the traditional who, what, when, why and how information. Make sure it's something people want to read about, not just a company or product promotion. And, include benefits of this news to the reader.

3. If you can send out your releases electronically, optimize the release by inserting embedded links that provide direct links to more details on information contained in the release.

4. Get copies of anything that appears anywhere. And, you can set up a Google News Alert to track most anything that appears in the media on your products or company as a result of your releases.

5. Keep sending out releases on a regular basis, perhaps once a month. Like any kind of promotion, it is the steady and ongoing mentions in the media that keep your company top of mind.

Jim Thebeau
Partner
Henry Russell Bruce