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Targeted email advertising is fast becoming a more important tool for online retailers. Communicating relevant offers and special savings to your email lists can provide a high return on investment for a relatively low cost.

phpList is a free, open source email marketing manager. It is a fully capable system including features such as: Double Opt-In Subscriptions, Scheduling, List Segmentation, and Bounce Management. It is a possible substitution for services like Constant Contact and iContact.

phpList Pros

• Free! Just visit phpList.com and download it.
• Includes most features used by email marketers (segmentation, bounce tracking, templates, scheduling, etc.).
• Very easy to install and set up.
• Utilizes extremely stable PHP scripts and programs.
• Self hosted, no third party companies to rely on.
• High level of customization available from subscription forms to account management to automated responses.

phpList Cons

• Harder to use and learn than alternative services.
• Have to be very careful when sending emails – spam complaints can lead to a block being placed on your website.
  
• Menus are sometimes a bit hard to use and can confuse even the most skilled users.
• Most web hosts limit email submissions (might have to throttle email sending process).
• Templates can be difficult to manage, especially if you use several.
• Completely lacks open/view tracking. Can only track bounce rate (unless you custom code your website to recognize the email as the source).

In the end, I feel phpList is a great substitute to the (sometimes) costly services available today if you are sending newsletters to small lists. The added risk of Spam complaints and Domain blocking when sending to larger lists is not worth it. If you send a monthly newsletter to 1,000 addresses then this could be the way to go.

For most retail businesses phpList just doesn’t fit the bill. While it is stable, it doesn’t offer the level of personalization that other services provide. Its somewhat cumbersome menu system makes maintaining several templates at one time difficult. And most web hosts do not allow unlimited emailing from their servers (GoDaddy.com for example limits servers to 1,000 sent emails per day). The risk of having your domain blocked by an ISP is too great when sending to large lists.

For help creating or managing your email marketing campaigns, please feel free to contact me. 2 Guys Consulting offers a range of services to help you create a successful marketing program.

phpList.com, Constant Contact, iContact

The following is just a quick review of some interesting articles, photos, videos…heck, whatever…that I came across during the past week. Do what you want with it

xkcd – A Webcomic

The words billion and million have been used a lot recently. It takes a sharp ear and a keen mind to always hear the difference. Xkcd, an online comic, has put up their feelings on the issue or clarity. Click to enlarge.

View Online: http://xkcd.com/558/

Migrating Websites (like WordPress!)

I just recently completed the migration of several websites to my new web server (Fedora Core running Apache/MySQL for those who will inevitably ask) and after much trial and error I believe I have a solid “manual” for completing the task. I’ll try to get it written up and posted, but until then feel free to shoot me a message or leave a comment if you need help!

Style by Jacquie – Visual Shopping

Stumbled across an interesting shopping website this week. Style by Jacquie provides an unique experience allowing customers to visually browse a huge selection of clothing and accessories. Its an interesting idea and may yet work, but I wonder about the SEO (search engine optimization) capabilities of such a site. I feel they’ll be needing someone like me in the near future to drive traffic. But once they get the traffic I have a feeling they’ll have a higher than average conversion rate.

Visit Online: http://www.stylebyjacquie.com/

This article is part of my ongoing series at 2 Guys Consulting exploring search engine positioning, online marketing, and website design. Visit the 2 Guys Consulting website or blog for additional resources. -Bryan

We are again winding down to the end of the year and for “Top 10″ lists. So I thought I would give it a go. Getting your website on Google, Yahoo, MSN, and other search engines is not difficult if you know where to begin. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is fast becoming an important factor in any website’s success. Here are a few tips to help give your site that extra boost.

1. Research your keyword phrases extensively. You may be surprised how people are finding your site on the major search engines. Use tools such as Google’s Keyword Tool, KeywordDiscovery, or Wordtracker to find your site’s optimal phrases. Create several lists of relevant phrases for your goals and choose a few for each page on your website. Try to avoid general phrases such as “car” or “engine” since they are usually not a great reflection of your overall site.
2. Search engines love unique content. If you are a retailer try to create your own descriptions instead of using the default manufacturer’s details (especially for your most profitable products). If your site is informational make sure you are providing something different. Google, Yahoo, and MSN are always searching for new content to distribute to their users – take advantage of this!
3. Provide an XML sitemap and help the search engines locate your content. The map is just that – a map to your pages. A sitemap is a simple data feed provided to engines such as Google and Yahoo detailing the location and importance of every page on your site. Don’t rely solely on the sitemap, though.
4. Check for canonicalization issues. Go to your website using the www and without. In other words, if http://www.domain.com and http://domain.com are the same page choose one and redirect the other to ensure you are not duplicating your website’s content.
5. Optimize for your target audience, not for the search engines. I know, this sounds counter-intuitive. The engines are looking for the most relevant keyword phrase when someone uses their services. If those people (potential customers!) are typing search words that relate to what you offer, then they are probably your target audience. You need to optimize to fit their needs.
6. First come, first served. Google and the other major search engines read webpages just like you – top to bottom. Put your content and basic navigation towards the top of your pages to give it more importance. Luckily, the wonders of web design allow you to place content were you want it visually, but still keeps it at the top in the source code (which is what the search engines look at).
7. Maintain a blog or write articles to create fresh, unique content. Web users are hungry for human interaction. Satisfy their needs with news articles or other interesting communications to your customers. The search engines are also trying to fill this desire and often give special ranking to sites providing fresh content. Better yet, get your CEO involved! CEO influence is incredible as it is the voice of your company.
8. Create unique page titles using your keyword phrases. Once again, the search engines crave unique content. If your titles are unique new traffic will be driven to your site.
9. Apply titles and labels (alternative text) to your internal links and images. Your site’s visitors and the search engines look at and read the clickable portion of your links (aka the anchor text) to help them know what to expect after they click on them. Don’t make them guess by using generic phrases such as “Click Here” or “More….” Be descriptive and make sure you use the landing page’s main keywords in the anchor text.
10. Monitor your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) success. As with any expense you need to measure your return on investment. Use tools such as Google Analytics or the Google Webmaster Tools to check your traffic and ensure the engines are browsing your site successfully. Analytics tools quickly provide clear results detailing your past SEO work.

Bottom line: Search Engine Optimization boils down to four important aspects. Text, Links, Popularity, and Reputation. Don’t be afraid to contact someone for help. We’ve just barely scratched the surface of all the SEO tactics – more is to come!

Original Source: www.2GuysOnline.com/blog-TechNotes-Bryan-5.htm

Check out Des Moines Juice’s January 7, 2009 issue! I was included in the “Get to know” feature of the weekly publication. Visit dmJuice.com to view the article. Thank you to Brianne Sanchez at Juice for including me in the issue!

This article is part of my ongoing series at 2 Guys Consulting exploring search engine positioning, online marketing, and website design. Visit the 2 Guys Consulting website or blog for additional resources. -Bryan

I last spoke about several tips for getting your website ranked higher on the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, and MSN/Live). Since then I have received quite a few questions asking me about the differences between Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). The two processes aim for the same end goal – more relevant and qualified traffic – but use very different means.

Search Engine Optimization is the use of techniques that make your website more search engine “friendly.” Adding titles, inserting appropriate content, link building, and uniqueness are all applications of SEO. When you optimize your website for the search engines you ensure that Google, Yahoo, and the other engines can “spider” (or browse) your web pages quickly and easily. SEO is an on going process, but typically is done during redesigns or during a large project. You do not pay the search engines to become optimized (although you may hire someone to optimize your site). You pay a larger sum once and receive the benefits for an extended period of time.

On the other side, Search Engine Marketing, or SEM, is usually defined as the utilization of the major search engines “Paid” or “Sponsored” listings. We have all seen the links on the top and right side of Google’s results – those positions were auctioned by interested companies. To use SEM you must first have an account at the search engine. Then, using their tools you will select the keywords you want your links (or “ads”) to be displayed for. Most SEM campaigns require you to pay a certain amount each time someone clicks on your Sponsored link. A lot of work goes into maintaining a competitive campaign. With Search Engine Marketing you pay individually for each visitor.

So, which is better? To be honest, neither. A truly successful website marketing campaign will include both SEO and SEM techniques. Use Search Engine Marketing for quick, short-term growth; and use SEO for long-term growth. The combination of these two solutions will provide long-lasting traffic and, if implemented correctly, highly qualified (willing to buy!) visitors.

There are some great online resources for learning about Search Engine Optimization and Marketing. Visit SEO Chat or Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide help pages for details regarding SEO implementation and tips. Each of the major search engines run their own SEM tools (Google’s AdWords, Yahoo’s Small Business SEM, and MSN’s adCenter); check out their unique tips and requirements.

Of course, it takes a lot of time (and money) to learn the extensive techniques available to increase your Search Engine Placement. If you have any questions or comments contact 2 Guys Consulting (515-257-8670), a leading Optimization and Web Marketing firm in Des Moines, Iowa.

Bottom line: Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing are two separate, but equally important solutions for attracting more customers to your website. Use both if you can – and don’t be afraid of asking for help!

Original Source: www.2GuysOnline.com/blog-TechNotes-Bryan-11.htm