SeascapeWebDesign.com has a fresh new look!

On January 15th, SeascapeWebDesign.com launched a new improved website design. The new website design features a wide 3 column layout with room for important links to the various sections of the website. We have redesigned our logo for a more colourful look and added a new slogan. Creating websites that work... so you don't have to. :-) In the main navigation menu, we added a button for the blog and a new articles section. Soon we will have an online Newsletter archive so you can catch up on our past newsletters at your convenience.

Are you happy with your website? Is it generating new leads and effectively communicating your message? We are here to help. Contact us today to learn more about how to improve your website and to get more results.

Check out our new website design at www.seascapewebdesign.com

What's your action plan for January 2009?

In December, I encouraged you to update your business marketing plan. What new strategies will you be putting into action this month? Here are a few of my goals for January 2009.

For example:
1. Attend 4 new Networking Events this month
2. Write action plan for January and review on the 31st to see how many goals I have accomplished.
3. Write and send out Newsletter to my database of contacts.

What new strategies will you be implementing this month? Please write to me and I will post them here.

Happy Marketing!

Three Marketing tips for January 2009

Talk up your business. Wherever you go, talk about your business. And talk about your website. Tell engaging stories about how you helped your clients by building their business.

Go to online chat forums in your industry and post comments explaining tips and tricks of your trade or industry. Many people have gained valuable leads this way.

Start blogging. Add a blog to your website. Afraid of giving away your trade secrets? Sharing valuable information and advice about your business will establish you as an expert in your field. People will read your valuable tips and contact you to learn more and you can start building a relationship with them. Then you will have made a valuable contact which may result in future business.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Soon it will be time to update your marketing plan or make a new marketing plan for 2009. Shama Hyder of ClickToClient.com has a free online resource to help you plan your marketing activities for the new year.

Visit this link to download your free Online Marketing Guide today!
http://clicktoclient.com/articles/OnlineMarketingPlan.pdf

What do I write about?

If you are new to blogging, you may be wondering what do I write about and who would want to read it? These are common questions. When you are starting your own small business, you may not feel like an expert in your field. But you are an expert. Your customers come to you because you provide a valuable service that they need.

You are working in your small business most likely because it is something that you love to do. Share your enthusiasm for your work in your blog. Write tips and news and articles to share with your customers. Read other blogs and articles in your industry and write summaries and link to their blog posts and articles. Be sure to give credit to the original author when quoting their work. It's not cool to plaguarize - that means take someone else's words and pass them off as your own. You are welcome to re-write ideas and concepts in your own words.

Common blog post ideas:
- Make top 10 lists eg. my top 10 favourite blogs that I read
- My top ten favourite blogs on How to Start a Small Business
- Link to another article or blog post
- Post weekly or daily tips on how to use your service better

Here is some good advice from Audrey of SisterInc.

Set up a blog and start writing about what you know. This is a great way to build expert status and to also get others involved with the conversation when they leave comments on your blog. The key to blogging is to blog consistently. This means that you should be blogging at least once a day and even more if possible.

Further Reading:
Read the full article on Building Expert Status.

Till next time,
Keep blogging!

Katy

Blog Writing Tips

Good blogs to read for Blog writing tips:

Daily Blog Tips
Here's an excellent blog post on 101 Blog Tips.
For more blog writing tips, visit the blog: www.DailyBlogTips.com


Out-Smarts.com
- Exellent resource for online marketing with social media
www.out-smarts.com/blog
Article on Corporate Blog Writing Etiquette

Here's another great article:
How to Start and Keep Blogging

Top 5 Ways to Increase Your Ranking in Google

1. Informative Content. Write clearly and accurately describe your topic. Provide high quality content on your pages especially your home page. Include keywords that visitors would use to find your website.

2. Build Links. Place links to your website on other websites with related content. These links help Google to find your site and helps give you greater visibility in Google search results.

3. Clear Navigation. Use logical menu structure to provide easy navigation to the content on your website. Every page should be accessible from at least one static text link.

4. Keyword Phrases. Visitors to your site will type in keywords to find your website. Be sure to use these keywords in your headers and in your website content.

5. Title Tag and Site Description. At the top of the browser, you will see the page title. Use keywords in the page title and the meta tag called description. To modify these, you will need to be comfortable using HTML. Your web designer can do this for you.

Need to increase your ranking in Google? Contact SeascapeWebDesign.com today! We have over 10 websites in Google’s top 10 for their keyword phrases.

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Please let us know what you would like to see in these monthly tips, and send in any questions you have. If you know anyone else that you think would enjoy these tips please feel free to forward this email on to them or send us their email address: katy@seascapewebdesign.com

Cheers,

Katy, the Web Designer

SeascapeWebDesign.com
katy@seascapewebdesign.com