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General discussion

Site optimization and marketing

Nov 9, 2005 12:57AM PST

I have worked in "fits and starts" to create a couple of different websites for my companies with varying degrees of satisfaction on my own. I am NOT a techie, but am on a very tight budget.

I finally had two different local "designers" do the layout and content on two different websites for two different companies. Even though I am very satisfied with the look and feel of the websites one of the reasons I wanted a website was to create new business.

They are both service type businesses that rely on local customers therefore no shopping cart or other online ordering process is on the sites.

My biggest desire is for the search engines to keep it high on the first page if possible. That is my biggest challenge. I have hundreds of emails and many local "experts" who claim to know how to add "meta tags", key words, etc. that but they have to constantly work on keeping the site fresh by changing tags, pictures, content, etc. so the spiders will continually find new stuff. Naturally they want to charge a monthly fee of $20 to $80 to maintain the site and keep it "optimized". Then they suggest a marketing program costing from $500 - $2,000 for pay-for-click and other marketing programs.

Frankly, the cost of optimization is fine, but I can't for the life of me figure out how they can stay in business with fees that low so I am assuming that is simply money they put in their pocket for referring me to other marketing programs that they get a referral fee from.

The marketing programs, on the other hand, are risky for me. I don't have a pocket full of money to try this program or that program or pay-for-click without knowing whether I will get some return on my investment.

It is absolutely mind boggleing for me to try to figure it out and know I am getting my money's worth. I have a business to run and cannot spend all my time analyzing the results of my program, but I need to have a benchmark to measure how the programs are working.

I am sold on the internet, but I need some unbiased opinions and options on making the sites work for me.

Thanks.

JPLFLY
jerry@aimcokc.com

Discussion is locked

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If this
Nov 9, 2005 4:00AM PST

If this is for local business only and you have purchased a domain name, then you can do these things yourself for FREE

You can set up your meta tags to have the search engines find your website. I would suggets you put an e-mail link on your website so that yuou can have a mailing list. The mailing list would allow you to email your customers, thus you can show and tell them about new products.

If you read this link, it will also help you

http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-6616-0.html?forumID=37&threadID=104731&messageID=1199019


You can submit your website for free at Yahoo, MSN, and google, however you have a FREE website (such as geocities) the search engines will NOT look for your website. The search engines only look for websites that have paid domain names.


Hope this helps.

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If submitted search engines will look for free sites.....
Nov 10, 2005 12:15AM PST

My freewebs site i submitted to google had a free .tk domain on it and came top in google when i search for it.

Thanks

Andrew