As everyone knows, marketing can be wildly successful or incredibly ineffective. Having a plan and knowing the right way to go about something can make all the difference in the world. After you’ve mastered the practical elements of creating an online presence (domain name registration, finding good web hosting, etc.) it’s time to start interacting with your online community.

Here are three tips for effective social media marketing:

1. Emphasize “social”. This isn’t a place for advertising. People want to be talked to and listened to. They’re not going to “fan” or “follow” you so that you can pitch ads to them all the time. Make sure you communicate accordingly.
2. Double-task when possible. Social media is a good way to build natural SEO since you’re putting up regular postings anyway. Don’t jam with keywords, but incorporate keywords and links on occasion, where appropriate. It can’t hurt.
3. Stay consistent. Remember, just because it’s “social” marketing, this doesn’t mean you can be un-professional. If your marketing angle is that you’re a community-oriented family business, don’t post a political joke on Facebook. If your marketing angle is that you’re helpful and sincere, stay helpful and sincere and don’t post complaints about anything on Twitter. The internet isn’t anonymous when you represent a business, so don’t do yourself more harm than good.

Domain Name Registration · keywords · marketing · natural SEO · SEO · social marketing · Social media

In the world of internet marketing, web hosting, and all other things website-related, it’s common to hear that something “is king”. For example, SEO professionals are known to declare that “content is king,” while those who register domain name addresses will sometimes say “.com is king” over other extensions such as “.net” or “.org.”

But is that true? Is .com really the best domain extension for every website? Not surprisingly, the answer is more complex than a simple yes or no. The appropriate extension depends largely upon the content and purpose of the website itself, as well as on the target audience that the website’s owners seek to reach.

• .com is the most popular extension on a global level. If your website, especially a business website, is meant to appeal to an audience in more than one country, regardless of geography, then you should put emphasis on .com domains during your domain names search process.
• .co.uk is, of course, popular in the UK, and serves a very different purpose. If your business is relevant to nearby customers (within your town, county, or country), then a “.co.uk” domain extension adds legitimacy by showing that you are nearby.

To provide an example, a company that sells party supplies online would do well to sequester a .com domain name, as their target audience comes from many countries and is more likely to trust a business with a common extension.

However, a company that does roof repair in northern England does not need to worry about global customers. This is a company that provides localized service within the UK to customers in the UK. The more clear it is (to both customers and search engines – we’ll address this further below) that this is a UK company, the better. This means a .co.uk web address extension (often made more affordable when purchased as a package with UK web hosting) is a good idea for that website.

The difference in domain name extension matters beyond customer perception. Search engines take many factors into account when returning search results for peoples’ queries. Extension can be a part of that, especially for local businesses. The more obvious it is that you provide the services searchers are looking for, the more likely you are to show up high in search results. So if someone searches for “UK roof repair” and your roof repair site has the “.co.uk” extension, you’re likely to benefit from that correlation.

This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but it’s something to take into consideration when you’re running a domain name check for a potential new website. If you can find a domain name for sale that includes a keyword relevant to your business, and also has the right extension for your needs, your website gains a layer of legitimacy simply by having a good address.

.co.uk · com · domain extension · Domain Name · domain name extension · search engines · SEO · UK company · web hosting

Before you buy a domain name, make sure it meets a few basic criteria for what a domain name should do. Yes, it’s important that you like the name, that it feels like a good fit for your website. And for many people, cheap domain names are also a priority (don’t worry: they don’t have to be expensive if you register in the right places). But there are a few things people can overlook.

Here are the top two ways that choosing to buy domain name rights to a poor domain could end up hurting your business:

• It’s not SEO friendly. Search engine optimisation is essential to any business that wants people to be able to find them through Google. Search engines assess not just what your site contains, but the name you’ve chosen when you set out to buy a domain for the site. If there are good keywords in your URL, that will help. If there aren’t, it won’t.

• It’s hard to remember. Once people find you in a search engine, they’ll probably try to come back for repeat business. Or maybe you advertise on local television or billboards. If people can’t remember your website, they won’t come back.

Choosing to buy domain name privileges takes time to do right (you may want to buy a few cheap domain names to keep your options open), but it’s worth it. Remember, if it’s not helping your business, it’s hurting it by missed opportunities, so do your homework and choose intelligently.

buy domain name · cheap domain names · choosing a domain name · search engine optimisation · SEO

Selecting, registering, and utilising a UK domain name is an exciting process, but it’s important to understand what you are looking for before you begin. Your domain name is more than just the web address of your website. It is part of your website’s identity, and can actually deliver a surprising amount of value to you as the website operator (and likely business owner of the company whose website is associated with the address).

What kind of value does a domain name deliver to your business? Well, several kinds actually.

First of all, there’s brand recognition and marketing value. This means that people recognise not just the name of your company, but also the name of your website. Having a website that is easy to find, easy to spell, and easy to associate with your company (for example, your business name is part of your domain name) makes for a cohesive, clear, and solid brand representation for your company.

This is important because you need to send a clear message for people to really absorb and retain who you are and what you do. Selecting a rock solid domain name for your UK website is a great way to keep your branding message clear and consistent across multiple mediums.

Secondly, there is search engine optimisation value. You’re probably familiar with search engine optimisation (SEO) by now, but in case you’re not, it’s basically this: when people query search engines looking for a certain type of information, the job of the search engines is to return the results that are most relevant to that query. If you’re a business, you obviously want to turn up near the top of the list when people search for what you offer and where you offer it.

Domain name selection and domain name registration, both in the UK and globally, can play an important role in developing competitive search engine performance. While there are many factors (largely including site content and incoming links) that influence SEO, having a relevant domain name can help inform search engines what it is your site is all about. So, for example, if you provide plumbing services in Oxford, having the words “plumbing” and “Oxford” in your domain name send search engines a clear message about what they’ll find on your website.

Monetary value. This has less to do with the name itself than with how you go about registering it. For a good deal on UK domain name registration, consider registering your domain through the same company you choose for web hosting. This is usually the most affordable way to do so, and it also streamlines your process, keeping things simpler and faster.

company website · search engine optimisation · SEO · UK domain name · UK domain name registration