Does your website mean business? Are you getting the traffic you want? Does it send you qualified leads? How is your percentage of online sales growing? How do you choose among the vast and ever growing array of online marketing tools to give your online business website a boost? Here is the top 10 list of tools I recommend for the participants in my internet marketing workshops. If you set these up, and use them effectively, you will be far ahead of the game.Hardware
Even if you are not the workshop type, pay attention to your hardware. I’m amazed at the amount of frustration people tolerate with outdated equipment. This may seem like stating the obvious, but if you attend one of my workshops you will need a reasonably up-to-date portable computer with wireless card, charger, and power supply.
Firefox Web Browser
While it’s possible to use any modern browser for internet marketing, I strongly recommend Firefox, because some tools do not yet work with Internet Explorer. If you are not already using it, search on Firefox, and download the latest version. If you are already using Firefox, check that you have the latest version. In your Firefox browser click on Check for Updates from the Help menu.
SEO Toolbar
While you’re attending to Firefox, and add the SEOMoz toolbar. Think of this as your internet marketing Swiss Army Knife. Adding this to your toolbar will give you instant feedback on how your site stacks up against other sites in the eyes of Google and other search engines. Search on, download, and install SEOMoz toolbar.
Spreadsheet Program
If you want to build your business on the web, you will get nowhere without setting business goals, marketing goals, and measuring progress. Spreadsheets are simple and effective ways to do this. Check that your laptop has a spreadsheet program like Word. If not, you can get free office software including a spreadsheet program at:
For PC: search on OpenOffice
For Mac: search on OpenOffice for Mac
Word Processing Program
Don’t laugh. Getting found and doing business on the web is not about fancy tools, magic bullets, and over designed websites. It’s about generating original content that people want, will search to find, and will link to. While most modern websites have a content management system, to create really compelling articles, you will need a good word processing program like Word. You may need to you’re your work as a text file before uploading it to your website, but a good word processing program will help you in the planning and writing stags. Again, you can get free office software including a word processing program at the above website addresses.
Google Account
If you don’t already have a Google account, sign up for one. You will be using some of their free internet marketing tools. If you don’t have a Google account, sign up for one by searching on Google account new. Sign into your Google account and scroll down the page to My Products and set up the following:
Google AdWords Keyword Research Tool
Think of Google AdWords as your marketing research tool. You may not be ready to place ads. But, you can still use their free keyword research tool. Create an AdWords account.
Google Analytics
Think of Google Analytics as your internet marketing GPS. Properly configured, it allows you to get data to plug into your spreadsheet to see where you are in relation to your internet marketing goals. It’s best to set up Google Analytics linked to your Google AdWords account. Do this by logging into your AdWords account, and select Google Analytics from the Reporting and Tools drop-down menu. Follow the prompts and use your existing account information.
Google Webmaster Tools
Think of Google Webmaster Tools as a stethoscope to help you check your visibility on Google. Search on Google webmaster tools.
XML Sitemap Generator
A quality sitemap is important to get your pages indexed by search engines. Search on XML Sitemap Generator.There are many more internet marketing tools I could recommend. But these, in my opinion, are the ones to seriously improve your online business website performance.