Speaking recently at the SMX Conference in Silicon Valley “First, we’ve got to get to break even. And then we’re got to get to profitability. And then we’ve got to grow share. That’s how I do my maths.” It has been said that they have so far spent up to $5 billion dollars to get it to this stage.

So it looks as though Bing is here to stay which is why our websites are optimised for both!

Imagine your website is in a race to get to that first page of Google, all teams start off as a new website – at this point the race is fairly even, in lane one is the all singing and all dancing website with bells and whistles on, in lane two is the website that has been stuck in a particular position on the search engines and is likely to stay there due to the lack of training or SEO work. Amongst the rest of the pack is a tiny one page website, competing against the state backed, sponsorship laden website that wants for nothing. As they all set off in that race together – who do you think will get to the number one spot? The answer is the one that continues to work at it, just by simply having a website does not automatically mean that you are entitled to that first page – if you stop running (your SEO), work then you then rely upon the results of others to determine where you will end up – a fate that the England football team has relied upon in the past and look where that got us – thanks Steve Mclaren!!

The following is a check list of things to think about when trying to market your website online;

1. Write a blog about something  that you are passionate about – aim it at your customers and not as a sales pitch for your business. Think about what would your customers find useful to know about – the more interest you get, the more people will see your article, link to it and elevate the importance of it. The end result is that it is aimed at your target market with the possibility of picking up some business from it. One of the best SEO ready blogging tools out there is Wordpress and its free.

1. Get yourself on Twitter, Facebook and all of the other main social media websites. This is a big part of the way the world is doing business and finding out new things – don’t let technology pass you by!

1. Write articles and get them published – write articles and aim to give something away, either free helpful information or tips on things that are must know or have in your business.

1. Video blogging – this is looked upon very favourably by Google and Bing etc.

1. All of the above will set you off to a great start if you do a combination of them and most importantly how frequent that you do them.

I have only given you five tips, but these five tips done well will start to propel your website forward and attract the type of website user your business needs!

My goal for this year is to also write more online articles and blog more, and to put my money where my mouth is. So come back soon!

Working with some of the UK’s leading businesses has helped us determine what works for your online marketing and what doesn’t. If you would like to know more about what we do then you can find us at Web Design and SEO.

Keywords, Meta descriptions and Page titles should be optimised on all of the pages on your website. If your main keyword is SEO, followed by website design and then search engine optimisation or Hotel SEO, then make sure that is what is down for your page titles and in the order of importance.

Keywords need to be chosen due to the relevance of the business and keep in mind what your customers maybe searching for. Keywords can be generic like Hotel Internet Marketing or they can be more targeted i.e. niche marketing such as Website design York.

Next you need to consider link building or a link building strategy, which is the foundation underpinning any successful SEO campaign. Link building is both necessary and time consuming and the higher the page rank of the link you are receiving the greater the weight and significance the Search engines will place upon that. This can be done at no cost, but it is extremely time consuming finding link building partners and then providing them with the details on the chance they will support your marketing campaign.

If you find a website that will place a link on their website on your behalf, do not offer or give them a link in exchange. Reciprocal link building is considered by the search engines as a way of trying to influence their results and it will certainly dilute the good work that you have already put in to get to this point. You also need to include a social media marketing strategy in your SEO plan and include everything from Twitter to Facebook.

The way we market our business and find new clients has changed, businesses need to wake up to that change, because otherwise it will pass you by and you will be playing catch-up!

At Step Online we offer all of these services and advice, designed to get you that return on your investment. Our results are both proven and effective.

Follow us on Twitter now https://twitter.com/davidjcasey

• Brighton Boutique Hotels for the Radisson Hotel in Brighton www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotel-brighton
  
• Hotel Internet Marketing for our sister site – Step Online Hotels – www.hotelsfoundonline.co.uk
• Doncaster Hotels for the Park Inn Doncaster – www.doncaster.parkinn.co.uk
• Conference venue near London for the 5 Star Luxury Hotel and Spa – www.danesfieldhouse.co.uk (winner of the 2010 Most Excellent Hotel Meeting Venue 2010 – Conde Nast Johansens Award of Excellence).
• Reception Plants for Dodsworths Plant Displays including Office Plants York, Office Plants Leeds, Office Plants Sheffield
• Beauty Therapy York, Environ Facials,  Waxing York, all for a Adonia Beauty that decided not to re-invest in their Yellow Pages advert – which has turned into a great move www.adoniabeauty.co.uk
• Video production York for www.twdigitalmedia.co.uk
• York Hotel, York Conference venue and many more for the Park Inn including their Innaction Health Club for the Search term Gyms in York
• Web design York, Website design York for this particular website www.simplystep.co.uk/
• York Photographer, York wedding photographer for www.jimpoyner.co.uk/
• Handmade Bags, Fair trade bags all for Bolsita Bags www.bolsitabags.co.uk/
  

We are achieving some great success for our clients, it’s all about getting them that return on investment…

Our client portfolio ranges from local businesses who are achieving quality traffic and business from being online to our National portfolio including Rezidor Park Inns to Crowne Plaza, from York to Glasgow, London to Sheffield! From the very latest cool industries such as Podcasting to the more established such as printers.

Step Online deliver are in the business of getting websites working, found and getting your business results. This has helped us to attract some of the UK’s biggest company names, who recognise the need for getting a return on their investment! You could have the best designed site in the world, but if no one sees it then what’s the point?

If your business wants to improve their market share or find a new route to market through website design then we can help. 40% of our current client base is from companies who have already tried search engine optimisation, through another search engine optimisation company and have been left disappointed! We deliver on our promises, your goals and competitive edge so why gamble with your options?

Step Online – We make websites work.