If You Build It They Will Come Does Not Apply

Author: Tina Boyd

""If you build it they will come"" does not apply to websites, so a web developers services shouldn't stop with design. Your website is useless if no one comes to visit it. Your developer should be able to advise you on the different methods that you can use to market your website, and to help implement those tactics that would work best for your site. Not every site can be listed in the top 10 listings . Some may need to look at Pay Per Click marketing, or purchase listing space from directory sites.

Your developer must examine your goals and marketing budget, and then research your internet competition to help you determine the best course of action for your website. They should be willing to educate you about the different marketing methods available, assisting you in choosing the website marketing methods that are appropriate for your business.

What is “Search Engine Optimization?”

There are sneaky ways to achieve a high search engine ranking, but internet marketing doesn't use tricks or lies to make it happen. When a search engine catches a site using deceptive practices they blackball the site, which means there is little to no hope of the site ever achieving a high ranking.

Ethical Search Engine Optimization Internet Marketing is an intense process consisting of research to determine the best keywords for your site, laying out the site in a manner that search engines prefer, adding special hidden tags that search engines look for, researching reciprocal linking, all while maintaining a high quality appearance for the ""human"" viewers of your site.

The upside of Search Engine Optimization is that you pay for it once, as opposed to PPC. This is provided search engines don't change their rules. With a consistent, long term marketing plan you can, in the right situation, shoot to the top.

The downside is that it takes time, patience and good research to make it happen. Beware of companies claiming to be Search Engine Optimization experts. Make sure that the search engines they are submitting you to are high quality search engines and that they use appropriate keywords. Google, Yahoo, and MSN, are just a few of the top search engines today.

What is ""Pay Per Click?""

Pay Per Click is that latest, greatest attempt by search engines to make their searches more relevant. Paying a fixed, or sometimes fluxuating amount can guarantee you a high search engine ranking. In fact, you can be guaranteed the top spot.

I can't stress enough the importance of choosing the right keywords. If you aren't specific enough they get a lot of hits from Pay Per Click, but no buyers. The return on investment would be a laugh, except for the impact it's having on your budget. Think of e-bay; when someone is willing to pay more you get bumped down the list, or your price goes up.

The good news about Pay Per Click is that it can bring quick results. With the right search keywords you can have high search engine ranking without waiting for Optimization. If your business is seasonal, or you're just starting out and want immediate results Pay Per Click can be beneficial. Another benefit is to companies who are providing services that have saturated the Internet. You can avoid the difficulties of trying to get to the top of a search with 7 million results.

Whichever path you take make sure to choose a high quality developer to help you with research and implementation. This will make all the difference between being found or being lost in the millions of other websites vying for attention.

About the author: Tina Boyd is the CEO/Head Developer at Silken Strand Web Solutions, Inc. located in the central Ohio area.