I have recently been doing a lot of work for clients registering additional domain names based on products or relevant search terms. Sometimes the choice of domain name is aimed at a phrase the clients site finds it hard to get ranked for, or simply to prevent other competitors from owning and using a relevant domain.
Whatever the motivation, I usually upload a single page of content for the domain, with a link back to the clients website. There are two benefits; its another backlink to the clients website to help its Google performance, plus the microsite may get ranked better than the clients site for the search term it targets.
In some cases you can go further and build a 'sponsored' microsite with several pages of content. Here are some examples...
Microsites pointing back to www.orielgroup.co.uk:
http://www.recruitmentagencyadvice.co.uk
http://www.recruitmentstartups.co.uk
http://www.contractorpayments.co.uk
http://www.gloucestershireaccountancyadvice.co.uk
Microsites pointing back to www.expressyourselfmums.co.uk:
http://www.medelabreastpumps.co.uk
http://www.elletensmachine.co.uk
http://www.dreamgeniipillows.co.uk
http://www.medelaswingbreastpump.com
http://www.medelafreestyle.co.uk
27 October 2009
Dynamic Page URL's and Google Analytics Goals
We keep coming across this issue when trying to create Goals within Google Analytics.
If you've never used Goals, they allow you to 'tag' a specific URL in your site so that Analytics can report separately on visitors who go to that URL - where they came from, what route they used to get there etc.
You usually use Goals to identify the pages people end up on after they've completed an action on your site; completing a purchase, registering on the site, requesting more information etc.
The problem comes though when a site is built dynamically and the URL people see when they complete an action doesn't change. So you can't plug a unique URL into Analytics to track as a goal. An example might be someone signing up on a website using a page called signup.php but all the steps in the process are actually done within the same page - it doesn't refresh to a new page when its all done. All very clever using javascript and ajax on page stuff, but doesn't help with your marketing.
If you've never used Goals, they allow you to 'tag' a specific URL in your site so that Analytics can report separately on visitors who go to that URL - where they came from, what route they used to get there etc.
You usually use Goals to identify the pages people end up on after they've completed an action on your site; completing a purchase, registering on the site, requesting more information etc.
The problem comes though when a site is built dynamically and the URL people see when they complete an action doesn't change. So you can't plug a unique URL into Analytics to track as a goal. An example might be someone signing up on a website using a page called signup.php but all the steps in the process are actually done within the same page - it doesn't refresh to a new page when its all done. All very clever using javascript and ajax on page stuff, but doesn't help with your marketing.
26 October 2009
Tell me before you PDF me!!!
Here's a polite request for all you web developers and content generators out there...
If you are adding a link to a PDF document on your website please mention that fact in the name of the link!!! Maybe you could add (PDF) at the end of the name of the link. It's only polite after all.
It's just that sometimes a bit of warning would be nice before I click innocently on a link that then takes 5 minutes to open a new tab, locks up my broswer, and then tells me it can't open your PDF anyways.
Grumble over.
If you are adding a link to a PDF document on your website please mention that fact in the name of the link!!! Maybe you could add (PDF) at the end of the name of the link. It's only polite after all.
It's just that sometimes a bit of warning would be nice before I click innocently on a link that then takes 5 minutes to open a new tab, locks up my broswer, and then tells me it can't open your PDF anyways.
Grumble over.
22 October 2009
The ultimate affiliate site inspired by Cheryl Cole
Yet another content site that doesn't sell anything itself, but makes money from affiliate marketing (promoting online merchants in return for a commission). Nothing new in that you might say.
But here's the thing - the interesting differences are the sites theme and its attention to detail. An affiliate site, Cherylcolestyle.com, has been set up around the styles of media darling Cheryl Cole, and selling similar outfits through affiliate merchants. It kind of takes the concept of ASOS.com to a whole new extreme.
I particularly like the way they categorise outfits according to when they were seen during Cheryl's strenuous judging duties on the current series of X Factor.
And according to the site's owners it's only going to be there until the end of the current X Factor series run. A brave move considering the time it could take to achieve real traction in natural search (They ain't doing too good yet for the phrase 'cheryl cole style', let alone more general search terms).
On the other hand, if they have some very clever SEO tricks up their sleeves (and the site founders are all from the SEO and web industry) then they could pioneer a new trend in 'tactical affiliate marketing' - short term yet well constructed revenue generating sites designed to tap into fads and trends.
Perhaps 'Jordan's Dating Site' will be next....
16 June 2009
Would you work for free?
BA asks staff to work for nothing
This story grabbed my eye today.
I don't question that BA's motives are genuine, in really trying to cut costs and survive. But it does raise an important question.
Has BA ever offered its staff bonuses of 1 week to 1 month's salary in the days when they used to make a profit?
It reminds me of the old days of pre-online marketing consultancy, when you'd seem to get approached at least every month by someone with a new product or business idea, who wanted you to help them market it (or in other words do all the sales) in return for a mumbled promise about commissions, incentives or so on. Basically work for free and take all the risk.
Now, marketing consultants probably shouldn't be completely averse to taking on the odd speculative project, but only ever if you have significant downtime you're willing to use up, and you can afford to turn away paying work.
Personally, if I ever get any of this thing called spare time, I've got a very long list of things I'd like to do for myself thanks!
This story grabbed my eye today.
I don't question that BA's motives are genuine, in really trying to cut costs and survive. But it does raise an important question.
Has BA ever offered its staff bonuses of 1 week to 1 month's salary in the days when they used to make a profit?
It reminds me of the old days of pre-online marketing consultancy, when you'd seem to get approached at least every month by someone with a new product or business idea, who wanted you to help them market it (or in other words do all the sales) in return for a mumbled promise about commissions, incentives or so on. Basically work for free and take all the risk.
Now, marketing consultants probably shouldn't be completely averse to taking on the odd speculative project, but only ever if you have significant downtime you're willing to use up, and you can afford to turn away paying work.
Personally, if I ever get any of this thing called spare time, I've got a very long list of things I'd like to do for myself thanks!
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