In this age of dominant social media, does it matter whether or not your websites are properly optimized for search? Believe it or not, yes. If your main site functions as your prime source for e-commerce and a point of contact for your business, it is important that customers can find it via search if they do not patronize your social channels. While it is good to have a strong marketing strategy with Twitter and Facebook, you should not neglect your main site, or rely upon them to drive your traffic. Organic SEO still holds value in this changing world of online commerce and marketing.

Why maintain good organic SEO practices for your website? It seems easier to tweet out new content and upload videos to YouTube, doesn’t it? While the Internet gives us the advantage of obtaining information practically at the speed of light, the transfer of news and viral curiosities happens at such an abbreviated pace. Our attention spans appear truncated as we dish out and receive news in 140 character bites. Eventually, though, if you sell a product or service potential customers will want thorough details. Therefore, it is important that your main website is prepared to accommodate visitors.

You must continue good SEO practices – proper tagging of photos, meta data, and links – to give your company the edge over your competitors:

• Outbound linking to relevant information can boost your authority. Naturally you will have links to your social profiles prominent, but don’t forget inbound link that takes visitors deep into your site. Robots continue to crawl the Web as well, so keep your code clean for them.
• Tag photos accordingly for added search mojo, and make sure your content is sufficiently peppered with your keywords.
• Structure pages so that content is easily to find, and that your site is easily navigable. Remember what was said about short attention spans: if you don’t have the offer up front people are not likely to search creation for it.

One thing to bear in mind when optimizing your site for good search results is that the more attention you give it, the more likely the major engines will pay attention to your activities, in a good way. If you have a blog attached to your site that is updated regularly, all the better. The influx of fresh content helps keep your site relevant and gives people a reason to return.

Organic SEO remains a factor in your online success. Take the time to evaluate improvements to your main site.

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When you obtain your account, your first inclination is probably to take a handle close to your brand or company name. This makes sense, especially if you have a well-known brand that people search. Your customers would expect your Twitter handle to feature your business name prominently. Let’s say, though, you are not as well-known as the Disneys and Nikes of the world. This could give you some leeway in choosing a name depending on the factors that define your business.

Let’s consider the following:

Regional Market

Does your business serve a specific area rather than the national market? Including your region, city or state as part of your Twitter name can enforce notice of your service areas. Customers in your sales zones typically search for services, and there is a good chance such a handle could show in the results.

Showcase Your Product

Does your business focus on just one product? Potential customers may be more inclined to find you on Twitter based upon the name of your product rather than a company name that doesn’t necessarily reveal the nature of your business. Incorporating your product into your handle can help people find you, people looking for you.

Spacing

Should you include underscores in your name or run all the letters together? Typing dashes and underscore marks can prove cumbersome in time, and if customers are trying to address you by memory instinct may tell them to type your name sans marks. You may think it silly to give consideration to such minor details, but this can make all the difference in social media, especially when somebody is trying to contact you.

Take into account the size and popularity of your business, your geographic reach, and the products you sell when you prepare to promote via Twitter. Good Twitter handles are memorable, and once you have one set you can create memorable content to attract followers.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on Virginia SEO services,  social media writing and Twitter marketing.

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Used to be you’d see a billboard advertising a product or service with a phone number underneath the company logo. Then the phone number became a website address, then a Facebook user name alongside the unmistakable blue square with rounded corners. Today, you are more likely to find advertisements that display none of these things as they are replaced by a hashtag and a simple word.

Take for example, recent advertisements for the HBO series, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” A title card displays the show’s name along with #curb. The show doesn’t necessarily want you to like a Facebook page or check out a preview on YouTube, but they want you to create conversation. The #curb tag in Twitter or other social networks gets you into an exclusive club of Curb fans – you can search now and see what people are saying, and generate your own buzz among your friends and followers. It’s a smart move by HBO and Curb to market the show in this manner, because who can better promote a TV series, book, music act, anything, than an active group of fans?

It’s one thing to have a Twitter account with thousands of followers, and another to have thousands of Twitter users actually talking about your products and services. At the end of the day, which do you think is more valuable: a thousand people reading your posts and possibly patronizing your business, or a thousand people each tweeting about your business to their followers, and potentially increasing your visibility? This is not to say you should stop trying to bring in new followers, but this is a great time to shift some focus in your Twitter marketing to encourage positive chatter.

The Hashtag VS. the @Mention

Even if you are new to Twitter, you know the difference between using # and @ in conversation. The @ mention often directly addresses another Twitter user, while the # addresses a specific topic in Twitter that is popular, or “trending,” or part of a pertinent discussion. Conference planners often set up hashtags for conferees to follow for information, and fans of TV shows and movies may add a tag to their tweets to generate attention. Fans of “True Blood” converse during the show – just look for #trueblood in Twitter to see the activity.

As you formulate a marketing strategy that involves Twitter, you will want to focus on a unique hashtag people can use when referring to your company. While an @ mention may alert you more easily, not all of these tweets may be visible to everybody, depending on the Twitter client used. Use of the hashtag is better to promote your brand to as many Twitter account holders as possible.

Selecting a Tag

In selecting a hashtag that will identify with your company, you want to be mindful of the following:

1) Make sure it’s not already being used. Play around a bit on Twitter and test potential hashtags you would use for your company identity. Your company name or a derivative of it may work, but have an alternative if you find it’s being used.

2) Keep it short. People should discuss your company with as much free space as possible. You have 140 characters per tweet, so try to keep the hashtag less than 10% of that.

3) Make sure people know to use it. Let people know the hashtag, and use it often in your own tweets. As followers go by your example they may soon converse on their own about you, and the hashtag allows for easy monitoring.

Having customers talk to you via Twitter is good. When they follow you, it’s great. When they talk positively about you on Twitter or anywhere else, you strike gold.

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So, Google Plus is supposed to be the big threat to Facebook, just as Google Buzz was to have been…something. In the frenzy to become early adopters of the latest social media trend, webmasters are coding the little +1 buttons on their sites, which turn blue when a user clicks them to give the content a boost. The trick to achieving success with this, of course, is making sure there are other Plus users out there to click the button.

Users of Google Plus may also adjust their accounts to cross-post to other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, yet there doesn’t seem to be a way to do the opposite. You can push Facebook notifications to Twitter and vice versa, but Google either does not or doesn’t plan to accommodate receiving notices. You can, however, upload photos and videos to your Plus activity stream and sort people you follow into different and unlimited groups, or “circles.”

Seems the notions of circles works more cleanly than Facebook’s grouping system, which requires users to sift through a drop down menu to find the stream of friends they wish to read. Plus chat functionality is also available as a carryover from GMail. What’s not to love?

More importantly, thinking as social media marketer, what’s the fuss? Is Google Plus worth an aggressive push now or is there the risk of waning interest like with Buzz? If you have established presences with Facebook and Twitter under your business name, you may think the addition of Plus can boost your brand. It is entirely possible, too. However, nurturing your Plus profile and connections will take time from your current social media strategy. If there is the chance Plus will fizzle out after the initial novelty wears off, how much of your energy was spent that should have been somewhere else marketing your business?

Then again, Plus could take off and give Facebook a run for the money.

As you approach a new social media outlet for potential marketing success, it is good to note specifically how others are using it. If you find within your circles people have not updated their activity streams in weeks, it could mean your circles of influence are experiencing social media overload, or find the structure is not to their liking. Addition of +1 buttons to promote your content can provide a good idea of whether or not people find your content worthy of sharing – remember to have other social buttons available as well. A gradual entry into Plus may yield good results for your company’s visibility in the long run.

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What can a business do on Twitter to improve their social media clout and click-through rating? As somebody who works in social media, I’m asked this often. Where Facebook and YouTube appear to offer businesses a clear understanding of how they work and how they benefit others, Twitter remains an enigma. Business marketers know they should at least have their brand established in a profile, with the proper links in their bios, but beyond that… what? Do you fear Twitter is useless in business for the noise it creates and the saturation of users trying to market to you? If you believe this, perhaps it’s time to step back and approach your use of Twitter differently.

If you have dabbled in promotional tweeting to tout your products and services, you may have noticed other businesses follow the same path. Tweeting turns into repetitive sales pitches that get lost in the ether. Of the people you follow, the majority of re-tweeted messages come from comedians or companies taking advantage of paid tweeting, and only they know the effectiveness of such campaigns. To succeed in using Twitter as part of your online marketing, you need to focus not on how many people will get the message, but how many people will do something about it.

In other words, rather than blast out sales and codes ad nauseum, take a personal approaching to using Twitter and reaching people individually. Convert to sales one Twitter user at a time.

Okay, so how do you achieve this? First thing you want to do is set up a feed that tracks specific key phrases relevant to your business. Whether you are searching for people looking for hotel rooms, shoes, books, car rentals… eventually somebody is bound to ask the Twitterverse where he can find something. Check the feed regularly and weed out possible leads, then approach the user with a friendly greeting and an offer to help.

Now, as you use Twitter you want to have a client in place that alerts you immediately when you receive replies and direct messages. This allows you to remain timely in your one-on-one marketing. If you respond to Twitter users and disappear for eight hours, you aren’t much of a help. What if a reply goes unanswered and a competitor picks up the ball? For heavy-duty Twitter use, somebody on the team needs to watch the account.

When you are not directly approaching people on your account, use Twitter to humanize your business. Talk about what you are doing, what the weather is like outside the office… keep the narrative light-hearted, and even include an occasional third-party link to something interesting. Retweet followers where applicable, and always respond to mentions, regardless of whether they are friendly or harsh. People need to know there’s a person behind your social presence, and putting a genial attitude in your social media works to establish trust.

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Acquiring a Twitter account is no different than signing up for any other social network. Select a username, choose a lively photo for your profile, and start micro-blogging! As you promote your Twitter account through your regular blog, Web site, and MySpace or Facebook accounts, you can build a Twitter readership ready to hang on your every post, or “tweet,” as they are called. Yet, you might wonder how Twitter can benefit your business and promotion, or how you will be able to keep your account updated when you already have so many social networks to manage. Luckily, there are a number of tools you can apply to your Twitter account to make for smoother updates and more concise optimization. Whether you are a novice Twitter-er or an expert, these tools will help make your “tweets” come in loud and clear.

Twitterfeed – Say you have a very detailed weblog for your business or products. What better way to announce a new blog post than to promote it through Twitter? With Twitterfeed, you can set up your Twitter account to receive your blog’s RSS feed, so every time you post, Twitter will deliver the link and the post title to your account. A great timesaver!

Twellow – If you have had an active Twitter account for a while and aren’t satisfied by the number of followers, you might wish to seek out like-minded folks who would be interested in what you have to say. Twellow is a new search engine of sorts, designed to seek out Twitter users according to geographic location and interest. By building up your profile on Twellow, you allow other Twitter users to find you quickly as well.

TweetWheel – Most assuredly, if you follow enough people on Twitter you may find you share a number of followers with your Twitter mates. If you’d like to know exactly how many of your Twitter followers overlap you can consult the TweetWheel. This site pulls all the friend information from your account and creates a colorful wheel design. Hover your mouse over any Twitter friend and you’ll see how many friends you have in common. This is a handy tool to use if you are trying to attract new friends. Find the one follower with whom you have few to no friends in common, then try to attract those Twitter users to your account.

With Twitter you have the opportunity to promote yourself, your business, and anything you choose. As you build a following through other social networks, guiding them to your Twitter account can help you update more and more people on a daily basis. With these recommended, time-saving applications, you can maximize the usability of this blogging tool and watch your online presence grow.

Kathryn A. Lively is a freelance writer specializing in search engine optimization and social media optimization. She also assists with Virginia Beach website design.

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You know you can attract more visitors if you could just reach them. You have a weblog attached to your site, and you write wonderful articles which receive much praise. What else is there to do?

Have you considered syndicating your content and products to users with an RSS feed? Do you even know what RSS is?

Simply defined, RSS is an XML-based format. XML, for the novice, stands for Xtreme Markup Language, a special coding language that represents information for resources in the World Wide Web. Using the XML, one can permit the distribution, or syndication, of content to users who collect such data through specialized aggregators, or readers. RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication, and once you get used to the idea it really can be simple.

By creating an RSS “feed” (think of a news ticker on a cable network, providing up-to-date information in real time), one can distribute product content, articles, pictures, and even embedded video, audio, and links. This information is used to entice users to click through to the host site.

RSS allows a person’s computer to fetch and understand the information, so that all of the lists that person is interested in can be tracked and personalized for them. RSS differs from a traditional website in that the information is usually presented elsewhere. Say for example an Internet user has a personalize start page with My Yahoo! On this start page is information on various sports teams so the user can keep track of the playoffs. Yahoo allows the user to edit what information is displayed so only the information the user wants is visible. The user may aggregate information from various sports websites that offer RSS data, and place it on the Yahoo page.

When the user visits his start up page, he will see headlines from the many sports websites fed into the page. If there is a headline that appeals to the user, a click on the link will direct him to the site. Think of RSS feeds as puzzle pieces, brought together to create custom designs for Web users all over the world.

Sites that allow for the opportunity to generate updated, fresh content can benefit from offering an RSS feed. Whether you sell products or services, want to promote a new book or film, an RSS feed attached to your site can extend your site’s reach and increase traffic. Having an RSS feed attached to a site also allows for the opportunity to submit to RSS specific search engines, thereby increasing awareness of the site. As you research RSS, you may find there are feeds for just about every subject of conversation, from sports to movies, multi-cultural issues to religion. Shopping sites use RSS to advertise sales, while travel site promote discount airfares for frequent flyers. There is no limit to what you can promote with RSS.

Creating an RSS Feed

Now that you have decided to promote yourself and your products with RSS, it is time to create a feed and attract the traffic you want. Creating a feed is different from creating website. Though there is content involved, you do not need to worry much about presentation and design, as different RSS readers tend to presently only the text and links associated with the feed content.

If you are unfamiliar with hand-coding XML, it would be best to create your RSS through either special software or through a third-party website that creates and hosts feeds. A quick Internet search on “RSS builders” and “RSS host sites” will lead you in the right direction.

If you have a weblog with a third-party host, you may note that this content is already being syndicated. If so, you may want to consider changing the focus of your blog to better sell your products, or create a second feed for better sale emphasis.

Once you have decided on the method of production, it’s time to produce!

Writing RSS content can be likened to ad copy. You want to use attention-getting headlines that will entice readers to click through to your site. As some RSS readers display only the headline rather than an abstract of the content, you want to be concise and compelling. “Save now on special purchase,” “Buy one, get one free!” Make the reader want to click to read more.

Depending upon the RSS aggregator, the reader will immediately click-through to your site, or be taken to your RSS content. Either way, it is important that all clicks eventually lead to the point of sale. Keep RSS posts short and direct. Tempt the reader to click through to your site to learn more about buying your book, CD, or product. Link to the sale page rather than the home page so a reader won’t become frustrated with having to navigate your entire site. Hot link a photo of the item using the IMG tag to give your feed an attractive look. If you use an RSS software or third party site, you may be able to use such coding, be sure to check.

Promoting with an RSS Feed

As search engines become more adept at collecting information, they are devising new ways to get this data. Some engines, like Google, have special spiders that mine the Internet solely for RSS-based information. If you want your RSS feed to be found, whether you host it on your site as an RSS or XML file, or host through a third party website, you will need to have the URL of the feed on your front page so people can subscribe to it.

Clicking on the link will not open the feed like a website, but depending upon the browser being used to view the feed it may take the user to an option that allows him to save your feed’s information. A quick Internet search on RSS tutorials will give you a special code you can put on your site to alert spiders to your feed, too. Also, there do exist RSS search engine where you can submit your feed for inclusion.

The one advantage to having an RSS feed is that what content you provide remains available to users who find it during search. To improve the likelihood of traffic increases, add to your RSS feed regularly, advertising all news and specials related to your books, music, or services. Your ability to prove Internet savvy can attract a new audience to your site, and in turn improve your sales.

Kathryn A. Lively is a freelance writer specializing in search engine optimization and social media optimization. She also assists with Virginia Beach website design.

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Simply defined, a “podcast” is an audio clip, a miniature radio program focusing on a topic like travel, art, news, sports, or just about anything of interest. The term comes from a combination of “broadcast” and “iPod”, as these short clips are primarily downloaded for use iPods and portable MP3 players. Clips may range from five to twenty minutes long to allow for easy downloading, and may be found through specific websites that offer podcasts or through specialized portals like Libsyn, that host podcasting communities. Web users interested in listening to podcasts may use a specialized search engine like Odeo or iTunes to find thousands currently available.

For website owners, authors, musicians, and others interested in a unique method of reach, a podcast can be a valuable marketing tool. Whether you are selling a book by reading an excerpt or reporting on a favorite travel destination, adding a podcast to your existing website can help drive more traffic to your site, which in turn can increase your visibility and business. There are countless advantages to offering a podcast to existing customers and possible new visitors who enjoy this new technology.

Podcasts are inexpensive to produce! If you think you need to rent a recording studio to make a regular podcast, think again. All you really need is a computer, some good recording software, a microphone, a good speaking voice, and the willingness to have a little fun. A quick Internet search will direct you to recommended programs, particularly freeware and/or shareware that works well in a pinch until you are able to spend a bit of money for a more sophisticated production. If you find you are running out of memory saving podcasts to your computer, simply burn the MP3 files onto CDs and keep going!

Podcasts broaden your audience! As you begin to build a podcast archive, you increase the opportunity for your website to be found through search. Also, a podcast allows your site to be listed in specialized search portals dedicated to audio-enhanced websites, thereby increasing your link popularity. Say you are a writer of mysteries and introduce a podcast about your novels and the mystery genre in general. A podcast listener searching for that particular topic may find you through your podcast, but not necessarily have found you another way. With the podcast, you open your door to a possible reader, and perhaps others who may not be into mystery, but might change their minds upon hearing your show!

Podcasts introduce a new level of comfort! Podcasts offer a new dimension to your website, a personalization unmatched by the written word. When you deliver a voice to accompany your website content you enhance the style of your site, attracting visitors to the “real” person behind the website. The concept, of course, is hardly new. During his presidential administration, Franklin Roosevelt addressed the nation through radio “fireside chats,” which were very effective in increasing public awareness and support. The broadcasts helped to amplify an agreeable persona in the president, which bolstered the spirits of the nation during wartime.

Now, it’s likely your podcast will not be designed to rally troops to victory. But, to offer this option to site visitors can endear people to the image you project, and in turn help sell your books, music, and services.

Podcasts give you a voice! With a podcast you can reinvent yourself. Do you operate a website of restaurant reviews? You can host “The Phantom Dining Booth,” as the secret diner who reports the daily specials around town. If you write romances, you can tout your own works and become the new Mary Hart, offering irreverent news and gossip on the romance publishing industry. Serious or playful, using a podcast gives your site a unique voice that you can work to your advantage.

Once you have made the decision to record a podcast, next comes the fun part, actually making it. In Part II of this article, we’ll go over the procedures to create, upload, and promote a podcast.

Step 1: Write the Script

Even if you want your podcast to have a casual tone, you will want to compose a script before you hit record. The reason for this is two-fold: you want to stay on topic, and you want to stay within a reasonable time frame. While it’s nice and comforting to introduce a playful voice to your website, you want to be sure your podcasts stay on topic and that you don’t ramble off into tangents that may otherwise distract listeners. If your podcast is about writing poetry, don’t drift off into an anecdote about the day’s shopping. Also, having a script before you as you read is very helpful in curb uncomfortable pauses and stuttering.

Write out what you want to say, then read your script aloud one or twice for practice. This is important to do, because you may need to adjust your voice to the script so that it doesn’t give out halfway through the podcast. Talking for five minutes straight can be a chore, so keep some water handy for rehearsal and the recording. You may find you’ll ad lib a line or two, and that’s fine. The spontaneity adds to the flavor of the program, but for the most part you want to stay focused on your topics. Above all else, be sure to promote your URL in the script, so that listeners who find you through podcast portals will know where to go.

Step 2: Record the Podcast

When you are comfortable with your script, you are ready to record. Find a quiet spot in the house with good acoustics (some have recommended to me using the bathroom or even sitting in the car, just make sure you’re comfortable), and make sure there are no alarms or phones nearby that can go off and disrupt your train of thought. Test your recording software and microphone first, make sure you have quick access to the pause button in case you feel a cough or sneeze coming on, then go for it!

Speak clearly and just relax. Take caution not to talk too fast, and you will discover this helps cut down on awkward “ers” and “ums” as you record. Above all else, have fun with the recording and inflect your unique style into the subject matter.

When you are done recording, save the file as an MP3 and play it back. If you detect any noises or gaps you want removed, check if you recording software allows you to edit. Don’t be discouraged if your first podcast turns out less than stellar, as the recording process takes time and energy to perfect. Once you are satisfied with the end product, it’s time to share it with the world.

Step 3: Upload the Podcast

Listeners will only be able to download your podcast if it is available through the Internet. Hence, you must have a place to upload your MP3 files. If you have a website with ample space on the server, you might want to create a separate folder for your podcasts, then link to them from your website. If you find your webspace is limited, you may want to look into either a site that offers virtual storage for large files, or a site that specializes in hosting podcasts. Shop around, as some storage sites may charge monthly fees. Sample podcasts they host…do the files download in a timely manner? Are they easy to obtain? Wherever you decide to host your files, always make sure you keep copies on disc in a safe place.

Step 4: Promote!

Don’t just sit back and expect people to find you. Make sure you promote your podcast and attract the listeners you want. The obvious first step, of course, is to link your podcasts from your main website. Create a separate page as a podcast archive, with links to each file. If you have a blog, announce new casts as they are uploaded, and use a special embed code to include podcast URLs in your posts. Especially if your blog is syndicated through RSS, aggregators will pick up on the podcast URLs and distribute them with your blog content.

Wherever appropriate, have your podcast listed on podcast and audio directories. Whatever the topic of your cast, seek out relevant websites and announce new programs. Build relationships with other webmasters by offering the content to their sites in exchange for the link. If you are a romance author, seek out book review sites and offer them the podcast for promotional purposes. In time, listener-ship will grow, as will the opportunity to expose your products and services to a wider audience.

Podcasting is simple to do, simple to plan, and simple to promote. Devote the time and enthusiasm to a podcast for your website, and you can easily watch your site’s traffic soar.

Kathryn A. Lively is a freelance writer specializing in search engine optimization and social media optimization. She also assists with Virginia Beach website design.

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It’s nice to be able to walk into a store and buy exactly what you want, when you want. However, with some products that isn’t always the case. Specialty items like gourmet foods, regional delights, and organic health and beauty aids might not always be readily available at your local grocer. Those handmade crafts and dolls you admired on a recent trip to the country, too, more likely not be found at Wal-Mart. So what do you do? If you want more, you go to the Internet to find it.

More and more, businesses turn to the Internet as a means of increasing customer base and global brand awareness. Consumers, too, turn to major shopping portals and smaller, specialized stores for unique items and gifts. If you have something to sell, but don’t have it in your budget to distribute through major department stores, an online boutique and shopping cart provides an affordable solution.

If and when you do decide to set up an online business, you want to be certain you have all the proper elements needed to succeed. As you shop for a designer or web hosting, take care to note the following essentials for your store:

Custom Storefront Design – If you have an existing color scheme and branding for your retail business, make sure a designer can integrate your logos seamlessly into an attractive storefront template. Logos and graphics should also be updated to celebrate your store’s emergence as a virtual storefront, satisfying regular customers and drawing in new ones.

Your front page is also your big sell page, what attracts buyers to the product. Highlight what you sell with crisp photos and detailed description, making point of sale links easy to find.

Search and Structure - Your store should offers categories and subcategories for products, allowing you to set products to multiple categories and increase their visibility. Look for shopping cart software that will allow you to automatically create category pages with ease, and give customers search functions to find what they want without having to browse extensively. Side navigation menus offer the user easy access to your entire inventory, so be sure to offer them.

Individual Inventory Pages – Showcase each item in stock with its own web page. Offer an extended image gallery for displaying color and size options, and allow customers to submit reviews. Individual pages may also allow for sections to display similar items for products that come in a set, so you are continuously selling to your customers. Look for a shopping cart software that allows for “smart URL” functionality, too; unlike other online carts where the item URL is an endless string of jumbles and suffixes, each item in your store gets a unique URL for easy off-site linking. Great for affiliates!

Discounts, Gift Certificates, Coupons – Just one click of the mouse allows business owners to set closeout prices on any item in their stores. Find a program that lets you set special promotional codes for newsletter subscribers, offer buy one, get one free incentives, sell gift certificates and accept coupons online.

Customer Database – Keep track of customers. Use a software that records information on all customers, so you can create opt-in newsletters and direct mail promotions. Offer incentive coupons and sales for returning customers with ease.

Affiliate Programs – Turn customers into salespeople by offering an affiliate program through your online store! Affiliate marketing counts for a large number of Internet retail sales; website owners act as third-party e-tailers and receive commissions for every sale made through their own sites (Amazon.com Associates is an excellent example). With the right software, you can customize your own affiliate program and allow other webmasters to sell your products for you. You pay a small percentage per sale, and in return your brand visibility and link popularity explodes!

To be a good salesman, you must first be a good shopper. Find the proper software to meet your e-commerce needs – user-friendly and functional, and compatible over many browsers – to help your online business succeed.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer and SEO consultant who works for CINIVA Systems, a provider of e-commerce solutions for businesses.

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