Marketing your site is a important as building it. Traditional “off-line” marketing and internet marketing can all work together. All successful marketing is about buidling lasting relationships with your customers, clients, members or leads.

Understanding the principles of internet marketing will result in both a more effective website and a stronger business plan. Make sure you include internet marketing in your a business/organization’s overall strategy for growth. Your  marketing plan and model for growth will effect what is featured on your website – especially the home page. Read more

Some great books: A great book for beginners is Online Marketing Inside Out by Brandon Eley and Shayne Tilley. Organizations who need to raise money should read Raising Thousands (if Not Tens of Thousands) of Dollars With Email by Madeline Stanionis.

Internet marketing course: See details of the course taught by Avery Cohen of Metrist Partners for businesses and nonprofits. Get personal instruction on using powerful internet marketing tools. Learn about advanced SEO, Google Analytics, AdWords, online fundraising, pay per click, key phrases, web writing, social networking and many other powerful skills that will bring you more visitors, sales, members and leads. Be in charge of a professional web marketing/fundraising plan at a fraction of its normal cost.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Google handles 80% if all web searches. A “search engine-friendly” site appears higher on Google search results. Google indexes and “ranks” websites according to specific guidelines which include key phrases, fresh and valuable content, incoming links from respected sites, use of a “blog,” menus and internal links, well-written code that follows web standards. 

Use all options to speak to your target audiences - email announcements, Facebook, postcards, flyers, e-newsletters, word of mouth, online social networking, surveys, trial offers, etc.

Target audiences: Understand all your potential audiences and speak to them on your website's homepage. Know their needs, interests and problems. Know what language, features, offers and styles will appeal to them.

Your domain name should be short and easy to remember. We can help you find one and register it.

Email marketing: Email announcements and e-newsletters are a cheap and effective marketing tool. We recommend using an email marketing company like iContact or ConstantContact. Advantages are:

• The low monthly fee is well worth the benefits and depends on the size of your email list.
• The services are “white listed” so email sent from it’s servers avoids most “spam-blockers”.
• The emails are sent from their server but shows any email address as the sender.
• The services allow you to use a colorful email template that matches your website.
• Export and import your list with Excel files.
• Set up your own e-newsletter with a little design help from us. Get free tech support from the service.  
• Track bad email addresses and who opens your email.  
• These services can’t be used with purchased lists which they consider “spamming”.   
• Collect names and addresses from your website.

Visitor tracking: We will install the free visitor tracking utility called “Google Analytics” This powerful tool if setup correctly allows you to know what works and what doesn't. 

Web writing has special guidelines. Most importantly, it has to be engaging and short. If necessary hire a professional writer. It’s usually worth the extra expense. See details below in “Writing for the Web”

Develop your networks: Use your money and resources efficiently and wisely. Figure out ways to enlist the help of your satisfied customers, favorite bloggers, colleagues and friends in your marketing plan both on and off the internet. 
Incoming links from respected websites will put you higher in search engine results and will help your audience find your site. Start requesting as many exchange links as you can while your site is still under construction. Make use of “web portals” for your area or industry.

Web Video: We can help you create a short 3-5 minute video. Or, learn how to create your own video blog. Make short videos about tips and services from your own computer.

Social networking: Use sites like Facebook and LinkedIn to draw attention to your website. Leave comments and add posts to many blogs that lin back to your website.

Valuable content: Add valuable free content to your site that people and search engines will want to share and index. Keep your content fresh.

Blog component added to your site can raise your ranking in Google over a few months, especially if it’s updated frequently. Fresh content attracts repeat visitors. Post on other blog with a link back to your own blog. Recyle ideas, tips, writings you’ve already done or have to do anyway.

Traditional marketing materials: Sometimes direct mail and paper communications are essential. We can design ads, postcards, flyers, posters, bookmarks, business cards, brochures, sales sheets. We support our favorite local printers and encourage use of recycled paper and “green” printshops.
 

Grow your business, publicize your events or raise more money using powerful internet tools and strategies. The tools are free.The secret of success is learning how to use them.

If self-sufficiency is your goal, as we believe it should be, then we highly recommend enrolling in the internet marketing seminar series offered by Metrist Partners and cosponsored by WebTrax Studio held in Chicago. Small businesses and nonprofits can benefit from the power of internet marketing without paying thousands of dollars to a web consultant by taking our hands-on mini-course of 4 classes. Taught by Avery Cohen, a founding partner of Metrist, our 12-hour seminar covers everything organizations and small businesses need to know about internet marketing and search-engine optimization.

Students will leave the course with a customized, detailed, step-by-step internet marketing plan they can begin to implement immediately. You’ll learn effective and efficient ways to use email newsletters and campaigns, including email fundraising, to dramatically increase donations, members, leads and sales.

And like they say in those infomercials, but that’s not all. You will also tackle Website analytics. Not sure what that is? Ever wonder where traffic to your site comes from? Google? Facebook? Direct traffic? What keywords are most effective in bringing traffic to your site? What are visitors doing on your site? What are they looking at? What’s popular? What’s not? How much time are they spending? What percentage look at your homepage then navigate away, without investigating you any further?

The tools to find out all of this and more are out there… and they’re free. You just need to know how to use them, and our seminar will teach you how to do it. Web content that attracts both your target audience and Google? Check. Help people find what they’re looking for when they get there? Check. Tips for building an effective homepage? Check. Learn how to collaborate with web designers and other technology gurus? Check. Assistance with any problems and concerns once the class is over. Check.

And you’ll learn how to use all of these tools and tips in a coordinated way that will produce the best results out there, in the real world.

The course repeats every 4-6 weeks, and space is limited to 8-10 participants, meaning that Avery is able to provide an incredible level of personal attention, both during the course and after it ends. More information on curriculum, dates and location of next class.

Grow your business, publicize your events or raise more money using powerful internet tools and strategies

This series of four seminars is designed to help business owners, marketing managers and nonprofit groups transform their Internet presence into a high-performing source of leads, members, donations and sales.  Limited to 8 participants. Contact us to talk with people who have taken the series.

The next workshop:
Thursdays, February 18, 25, March 4 & 11.
Time: 8:30 am to 11:30 am
Location: Offices of Lumity: 29 E. Madison, Suite 1005, Chicago, IL

Cost: $635, $60 discount for Lumity Members. Attendance limited to 8 organizations. 

Classes will be taught by Metrist Partners.
Please contact Susan Shulman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 847.926.8280 for more information.

Here's what participants are saying about our seminar series:

• "Fantastic class! Looking forward to implementing these learnings right away." Karen P., Business Owner
• "Great SEO session. I left with several ideas at how I could improve my site's search ranking." Christen C., Business Owner
• "I really learned a lot. The class was very specific and focused on quantifiable results. Bob S., Web Designer"

Who should take this course?
These seminars are designed for nonprofits and small businesses who want to use their website to help grow and better serve their audience and customers. The internet levels the playing field. Small businesses and nonprofits with limited budgets can use many of the same tools and techniques big companies use to get results and bring in revenue. On the internet everyone can optimize their messages, measure what works, avoid what doesn't work and try out new ideas. With creativity, time. knowledge and determination you can get your message to the people who count. 

Seminar Format:
Each workshop session is two and a half hours. This includes a presentation, hands-on exercises and personal coaching. Between classes participants are encouraged to work together on applying lessons. At the end of the course participants will have a customized plan for ther business or group and the skills to implement it. After the class participants are encouraged to stay in touch for peer-to-peer coaching.

Class 1: Set goals to make your web site deliver for you, your members and your customers
Class 2: Get more visitors and better results through Search Engine Optimization
Class 3: Create effective email campaigns and track the results
Class 4: Connect with your customer/members base through online Social Networks

CURRICULUM

Class 1: Making your web site deliver for you and your customers

• Identify your business/group goals and develop a strategy for online marketing that will meet those goals.
• Evaluate content and calls-to-action based on those goals.
• Measure your site’s effectiveness using Google Analytics, and determine web site revisions based on those measurements.
• Create your on-line growth or business plan.
• Convert more site visitors to leads, members and customers.

Class 2: Getting more visitors and better results through Search Engine Optimization

• Assess your current site for the best practices of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
• Provide tips on site structure, site content, and linking strategies.
• Measure SEO effectiveness using Google Analytics.
• Evaluate opportunities to use pay-per-click search advertising programs like Google AdWords.

Class 3: Email is the backbone of internet marketing

• Create a content plan for value-added emails.
• Learn how to measure and optimize emails.
• Get more people to open your emails.
• Drive more visits your web site.
• Test alternative email headlines, text and images.

Class 4: Connecting with social networking sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.)

• Match social networking sites to your objectives.
• Review and revise your social networking profiles.
• Linking strategies for social networking.
• Learn how social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook can impact your site's Google ranking.
• Use your time wisely when monitoring social networking tools