Rank, Link Building and Google Analytics

This week we learned about improving your rank by building links from other sites and google analytics. Google analytics was a lot of fun. I am better at finding an answer than I am at coming up a with a theory or assumption. I guess your assumptions have more substance when you use analytics. I would assume the information gets clearer the more data you can analyze. Although it was fun I think it would drive we crazy looking at every possible piece of information. How helpful could the information be at start up? Would it be more beneficial because you could see initial reactions? I hadn't realized how much goes into building a site. I understand why there are so many companies out there that charge to build your site.

Social Media for SEO and Social Networking

It is clear that there is no escaping the importance of Social Networking. I don't think anyone would have realized how important this forum would be to e-commerce. I am still a newb when it comes to social media. I don't even know if newb is the word, I just hear my son use that word a lot for someon that is an amateur. I use Facebook and have viewed many ads and got hooked into advertising campaigns that would not have reached me otherwise. I think the important to using the networks is to know the different etiquette that is expected at each site. This will help prevent the "newbness". I also think it's important to try multiple networks to reach a diverse group of customers. You may be surprised about who may be interested in your product. I am still a newb but I am growing out of it.

Landing Page Optimization & Basic SEO

The key to getting people to go to your site and stay at your site is your landing page. You can have the best keywords and the best google ads in place. If it doesn't match to your landing page it will kill your conversion. This week we learned how to optimize the landing page and some basic search engine optimization (SEO). There are five things that are important to remember but the key to it all is to remember that it a program doing all the work. The search engines use an algorithm to select your site and send it to the person. You don't want to trick the system but there are ways to make sure your site is selected. Naming links, getting your site linked from other sites, titling your pages, refreshing your site, and having the keywords on the page will get the algorithm to direct them to your site.

ROI and Optimization

It's incredible the amount of tracking is available for a website. I am getting lost in the different ways to analyze all the data. Determining the next steps and then determining the next, next steps can be mind numbing. So this week I've learned that the best way is trial and error. There is a pattern to follow to start with a good ad but you have to keep analyzing it and changing when the data says to. Another thing that is really important is appealing to customers on mobile devices. Considering the amount of time people are on their devices, it's important to target ads to them. They are also more likely to call you because they have the means to do so. One thing I have not done is created ads that are suited to the mobile audience. Another important thing to do is highlight what makes you unique in your ad. Considering the amount of ads that people will see, you need to stand out.

Relevance and Quality Score

There is nothing worse than getting a thousand people to come to your site only to find out that you site was only relevant to a small percentage. This is caused by using the wrong keywords. Google provides a Quality Ads Score. There are three factors that affect the score. Expected click through, ad relevance, and landing page. The way to improve the score is done by changing your ad and changing you site. The first thing that can be done is improving your ad words. Including keywords in you ad text and ad headline. Make sure you choose your keywords wisely. Not being specific enough will get the wrong person to your site and will show that your ad is not relevant to your site. You can also add those negative words we learned a few weeks back. This will prevent the poor click through rate. Once you have your ad, it is important to review your campaign's performance regularly. Try something different if something doesn't appear to be working. It's also important to test multiple ads. This will help determine if the ads are the problem.

Google Ads and AdGroups

This week we learned about Google Ads. Finding the right Google Ad words is an art and a science. I hadn't realized how difficult this would be. I think the key is trying to think like a customer. A few questions that could be asked are 

1. Who are the customers you are trying to get?

2. Who else might be a customer?

It's important to make ad groups that would attract different customers. The reading and videos this week had a lot of great advice. The article that I found very valuable was "The 7 Best Practices for Google Ads Expanded Text Ads". With the widespread usage of technology devices, it's important to write the ads to speak to people on all devices. Choosing the right keywords is the science behind. To be more specific it's important to add the right words and update you site to make sure its relative to your ad. 

Google Ads and Keyword Basics

When creating a website the most important thing is to get people to your site. Without traffic all you have are words and pictures. The worry I have is, is my site good enough to keep people coming back. It's not ready yet. This weeks lesson will help get people to the site when it is ready.
A couple things I found interesting were the choice of words you use will drive traffic to your site but sometimes you get traffic that you don't want. There are negative words you can use that you can include to narrow down who your ads target. Figuring out those words can be difficult and could take time. Another thing to remember is choosing the right amount of keywords. Most advertisers choose between 5 and 20 keywords. To me that is a large variance. There is definitely a science behind picking the right words to use.

Licenses and Taxes

It is amazing how confusing it can be trying to figure out what license is necessary for your business. I am still figuring that out. I think the more unique your business is the harder it can be. For my selected business there isn't a specific category to select. I may just offer to sell stuff so if I needed a license I would have one. 

Taxes are another challenge. If you don't sell anything or provide a service is there a tax to pay? Who knew opening a business would be so challenging. Two sites that were very helpful this week were The Small Business Administration and the IRS website. Each site had links to help get a business owner started. 

Starting this class I was nervous about opening a business. The little things we have been doing each week chip away at that fear. I love that there is so much free information available to get started. I also have realized the importance of finding more than one source to answer a question. 

How important is Website Design

The design of a website is very important. We focused on this this week and on ways to improve a site. Putting too much on a site can be distracting. Putting too little can make it hard to see what the website is about. It was interesting to see what everyone thought made a great site. One thing to remember is to avoid putting too many buttons at the top of the site. Our brain can process 3-5 things at a time and more than that will either get missed or overwhelm the user. I like when things are blocked into sections. I think it makes the site easier to navigate. That is the key to a good design. The user needs to go where they want and you can design it so they go where you want as well. Another cool feature we learned was putting paypal buttons on the site customers could pay with credit cards.

Choosing a Host and a Site

I am starting to realize that opening a business is a lot of work however it is not impossible for me to do while maintaining a full time job. It is all in moderation. Once I have finished school I can treat my business like a 9 credit class. Three hours per credit and I can pace myself. The internet has so many companies that help a startup business. This last semester has been the most valuable and the hardest. In another class I am learning about creating my Business Model Canvas and this class I am learning how to use the resources available to get it on the internet.

This week we learned about choosing a Site and choosing a Host. Interesting that you can pick a company that can assist in both but to save money you can do more of it on your own. It is very important to read the fine print and to research the company you use. I found some interesting reviews on a company that I though would be perfect my business. I may need to find a different company. I also started using a company that has a 14 day trial period named Shopify. This site is very easy to navigate and create a powerful website but I don't know if it is the one I want to use. Trial and error. 

Other options to getting an online business

The focus this week was on Affiliate programs and Drop shipping. I am not sure what I would prefer. Running an affiliate program looks like it would be a long process. The key would be getting writers unless you are very good at writing compelling pieces that would keep customers coming back. With affiliate programs if your are passionate about something, it is a way to make money on doing something you love. Drop shipping isn't without it's risks though. Customers see you as the one owns the products and the one who would guarantee satisfaction. It would be important to select the right drop shipper to minimize risks. If you go this route, using the excel quantify template can help make the decision. It is important to determine risks, cost, and any other concern you may have. No matter which option is chosen the process can still be long. Once you establish yourself as a reputable supplier you can start to add more products.

Now is the time to start

Perhaps it is easier than I thought to open an online business. I don't have a special product to sell. I guess I could find one but I think that is rather risky and unsuccessful. I really enjoyed Russell Brunson's video on his Magic Box. This is how I will get started. He, like me, had no product to sell. However he created a product of information. His formula is simple and very successful. His advice was to find someone that is an expert in something and interview them. That information will be the product you sell.

I am amazed how easy he made it sound. I imagine after doing it several times it does come easy. I hope to be that fluent in creating my online business. I wonder how long this type of site could last. Another valuable lesson from this week was BizThoughts, Brainstorming Business Ideas. I'd imagine many entrepreneurs that have online businesses have several online businesses. I expect this site to be very valuable in the coming weeks.