Networking as Advertising

I often have clients and friends ask what the best form of advertising is. They want to know where they will get the best ROI for the least amount of money. Of course everyone wants to know this and it tends to be a little different for each business when you talk about traditional advertising mediums.

That being said, I firmly believe that there is one form of advertising that costs next to nothing and can be pretty fun and/or interesting for just about every industry. What is this advertising avenue you may ask? Well to put it very simply it's NETWORKING! You know, getting out there and meeting people in different organizations, groups, places, etc.

Now you may be thinking that this isn't really advertising, but I beg to differ. What better form of advertising is there then a real life conversation about you and your company? Who is there to better explain what you do then you?

I mentioned above that it is as close to free as you can probably get when it comes to advertising. Really all you need is a handful of business cards, which you can get 500 cards today for less then $50, and a place to go. Even if you have to throw in gas, dinner and some drinks you probably will only spend $100 for one night of what could be numerous valuable contacts.

With the craze of blogging today, networking can even be done from your own desk. Now you can't get much cheaper then that for advertising can you? Browse the internet for blogs or forums that relate to your business or industry and start posting. Now I say start posting, but I DO NOT mean start "spamming" the blogs and forums. Simply start engaging in conversation by commenting on someones blog, and give yourself a footer at the bottom of your comment that notes your website address, name, and company and you've just advertised for no cost and without being an annoyance to the site you are viewing.

With technology so readily available and the internet broadening everyone's horizons, there are thousands of ways to make yourself visible. It requires a little of your time and thought, but it doesn't have to be a hundred thousand dollar ad campaigns in a magazine to be effective. Word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising, so get out there and start talking!

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Ignite Media LLC, Ignite Your Site™
http://www.ignite-media.com/
Website Design & Development eCommerce Development Search Engine Optimization

Finding the Right Website Development & SEO Firm

Finding the right website development and search engine optimization (SEO) firm can be hard. Often times they are two different companies as well. So how do you go about picking the right firm? This post will give you five ideas, tips and thoughts when considering which firm to go with.

#1 . Are they responsive?

This may sound like an odd question, but you will be surprised at how many companies are not. How quickly did they return your call/email when requesting information from them. How much time did they spend with you, before they rushed off to their next call or meeting? Be critical when selecting a firm. You want to find a company that you can create a long lasting relationship with.

#2. Do they have examples?

Examples of previous work that the firm has done will give you a good idea of what they might be able to do for you. You should note that past experience doesn't always mean future results for you. Whether you are having a new website built or starting up an internet marketing campaign, knowing what the company can do and has done is important. This doesn't mean you should ignore all of the new, smaller firms with less experience but it's another tool in your arsenal to ensure you are getting the best "bang for your buck"!

#3. Are they teaching you?

You might wonder why they should be teaching you. We're not talking about them sitting you down like a student and showing you step by step what they are doing. We are talking about explaining in clear and easily understandable terms what they will be doing and why and what effects it may have on your company and/or website. You wouldn't buy a car without the dealer telling you why this car is better then the older model or competitors model, would you

#4. What are you getting?

You might think to yourself, well I know what I'm getting. But do you? When you are signing up for that $5,000 website do you know how many pages you are getting, what is included in the hosting and whether they are writing the copy or are you? When you are signing up for that internet marketing campaign are they going to be giving you weekly, monthly, or quarterly reports? You want to be sure a clear outline of what the deliverables that you will be getting are. You wouldn't think about buying a house without knowing if the appliances you saw in there come with the house, so why take any chances on your website and/or marking plan?

#5. Will you have any say in what goes on?

Communication is key. A good internet marketing firm and/or website development company will involve you in almost every step of the process. You know your company best and your industry and it would be foolish to think that someone else could market your company without your input. Of course they should be able to understand what it is your company does and what differentiates you, but there will be areas that will need your input and approval. The most successful campaigns of any type require a lot of communication and whether yours is a small or large campaign it deserves that same attention.

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Remember, these are just some examples of what you should be looking for. You might find a company who only lacks in one area, or is just starting out in the field and they could be just the right fit. The one thing that holds true throughout is that you must do your homework and really know who it is you are going to be working with.

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Ignite Media LLC, Ignite Your Site™
http://www.ignite-media.com/
Website Design & Development eCommerce Development Search Engine Optimization

Welcome to the Ignite Your Site Blog

Ignite Media wants to welcome you to our marketing blog, where you'll be able to read posts that deal with everything from website usability to best practices in search engine optimization and so much more!

The blog will be updated on a weekly basis, so be sure to stop back often and/or subscribe to our RSS feed by clicking the link on the right nav bar.

We welcome you to comment on any and all blog posts. Whether you agree, disagree or have additional information to add to the post, please take a minute to comment. We want this blog to be a place where everyone can come to learn and share.

Welcome and we look forward to hearing from you soon!

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Ignite Media LLC, Ignite Your Site™
www.ignite-media.com
Website Design & Development eCommerce Development Search Engine Optimization