Posted by Michelle Harrington on Jan 28th, 2010

The following are a few recommended email marketing companies that I suggest for building an email mailing list and sending periodic email blasts and newsletters to your past and potential client lists.
iContact – Using email marketing to directly connect you with your customers has been simplified. Sign up for an account today – empower your businesses’ online communication...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Jan 26th, 2010

John Haydon had a great idea on his blog for building Facebook Fans by offering Fan-Only content. Check out his article link below to learn how to do it…
How To Create An Incentive For Visitors To Fan Your Facebook...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Jan 25th, 2010

Here’s another local directory/social media site that you can add your business to for free. GoMyLocal.com directory listings are a free and easy way to get more exposure online for your business or store front. Visit the site and see if your business is listed, if not click on “Add a Listing” and fill out a short form with details about your business. Even if you have a...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Jan 24th, 2010

It’s been said that a photo is worth a thousand words. With such a competitive marketplace especially for visitor and tourism related businesses, it’s very important to project a professional image with high-quality, professional photography of your business.
As a website developer I look forward to projects where the client has invested in professional photography, because not only...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Dec 17th, 2009

TripAdvisor is a free travel guide website that allows users to post opinions and reviews of travel related issues. TripAdvisor-branded sites alone make up the most popular and largest travel community in the world, with more than 25 million unique monthly visitors, 15 million+ members, and more than 30 million reviews and opinions. Featuring real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Dec 11th, 2009

I’m moving over some content from my website and found this gem of an article from David Wallace. It’s a few years old but the advice and suggestions for small businesses on a shoestring budget (who isn’t these days?) is still great.
Increase the Visibility of Your Small Business Website on a Shoestring...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Dec 11th, 2009

Here’s a free way to get some great local exposure for your small business on Google – claim your Google Maps listing.
Watch the video on how to Claim Your Google Maps Listing.
To determine which categories to use for your Google Maps listing, go...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Nov 12th, 2009

I’ve posted a bunch of posts on the topic of Facebook and how to create a page for your small business. Now here’s some resources for promoting your Facebook page outside of Facebook, like on your blog or website or other social media sites. Click on the link below to see Facebooks’ guidelines for promoting your FB page and to find FB images and a FB badge to be used on...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Oct 28th, 2009

When writing copy for your website, it’s NOT all about you.
Karon Thackston is one of my favorite experts in the web copywriting field and her article “Writing TO Your Customers—Not AT Them” was featured on Jill Whalen’s High Rankings newsletter recently. Karon offers a few examples of copy that is business-focused and then shows how the copy can be modified to be...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Oct 25th, 2009

If you have a business or a store front and haven’t taken advantage of Facebook yet, you might want to add that to your list of things to do before the year is out. To read my earlier post on building a Facebook profile and business page, click here.
You’ll need a personal Facebook profile to be able to build a Facebook business/store page. Once your Facebook page is created you...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Oct 15th, 2009

So you can’t afford a professional website? Don’t worry, there’s still plenty that you can do to spread the word online about your business. The following suggestions are for free online services designed to help you promote your business whether you have a website or not....
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Oct 15th, 2009

I recently purchased a Flip Video camera from Costco for about $200. The High Definition video camera fits in the palm of my hand and comes with a small tripod. It has a built-in USB port that flips open to connect to my laptop for downloading and editting video clips. The video editting software that comes with the camera is super easy to use and it offers the ability to add multiple clips...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Oct 7th, 2009

Awhile back I wrote about an online invitation service from Evite.com. I wanted to share another on-line invitation and event management company called Pingg. They have a large showcase of artists and a wider variety of stylish invites to choose from. Pingg is also free and you can post your announcements directly to Facebook and Twitter,...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Sep 27th, 2009

I enjoyed this article by by Stoney deGeyter and thought you might enjoy it too. After reading it you might be inspired with a great idea or two on how to get more people to visit and link to your website…
How to Engage Online Marketing in an Offline...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Sep 9th, 2009

A client asked me recently how some postings on Craig’s List look so much better than others. He had noticed brochure-type postings and wanted the same format for his listings.
So I did a little research and here’s what I found…. Postlets.com offers a free service to create attractive brochure-type listings for real estate and vacation rental properties. The listings...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on May 3rd, 2009

I enjoyed this article by Stoney deGeyter about re-thinking our mindset when it comes to investing in web marketing. When your online marketing strategy is looked at as such – “marketing” and not simply as an IT or computer expense and is looked at as a long-term investment, you are setting yourself up for success.
Investing Online is an Investment to Your...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Apr 26th, 2009

Just finished a great book for anyone venturing into the world of Pay Per Click advertising. The Findability Formula by Heather Lutze is an easy read and not too technical but very helpful in understanding and navigating the Pay Per Click arena. You’ll find a step by step guide in determining your targeted keywords, writing ad copy and creating landing pages for your Pay Per Click...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Apr 23rd, 2009

Just a reminder for those of you who are members of the Hawaii Visitors Bureau, they offer a large image bank of beautiful images of Kauai (and all the other Hawaiian islands for that matter) to help its members promote Hawaii tourism businesses. The photos may be downloaded without cost from their online image library.
We all know that photos sell, so if your website is need of some updated...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Apr 21st, 2009

A friend of mine recently asked me what she should do about all the link requests she receives…
“I’ve been approached by numerous webmasters to do a link exchange and I’m wondering if this is a good idea. Does it have some value for me to link? I just don’t have a clue about the pros & cons regarding this. I’d love to know your professional...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Apr 12th, 2009

Times are tough and your message to potential customers should reflect what consumers are concerned with – and at present it is the economy. Remember to think like a consumer when you are designing your Pay Per Click ads, website copy, or any advertising for that matter. Figure out why buying from you is an excellent value (especially in these tough economic times) and be sure to use...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Apr 12th, 2009

If you have thought about doing Pay Per Click advertising but just don’t know how or where to get started, you may find the following article by Brian Carter helpful in understanding the nuances of paid search.
5 Common AdWords Myths Absolutely Destroyed
If you would like assistance in establishing or optimizing a paid search campaign for your business, contact Emagine for more...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Mar 29th, 2009

Facebook is a widely used social media site that has over 120 million users, is growing by 250,000 users daily and is the 4th most trafficked website on the internet. Chances are many of your business partners and potential clients are using it, so it’s a great place to establish a presence for yourself and your business for more exposure on the web....
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Mar 29th, 2009

Here are two articles about a new tool called www.GetListed.org – the perfect solution for small businesses to ensure they are well represented in Local Search. The neat thing about local search is you don’t even need a website to get some exposure online for your business – just make sure you claim your listings and provide accurate information on the many local search...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Mar 29th, 2009

Here are some of my favorite Free downloads for small business marketing, link building, social media and more…
Zero Dollars, a Little Talent and 30 days by Jennifer Laycock
This is a great place to start if you’re new to marketing yourself or your small business online. Zero Dollars follows entrepreneur and writer Jennifer Laycock as she tries to start a successful online business...
Posted by Michelle Harrington on Mar 15th, 2009

Don’t forget to promote client testimonials and reviews on your website and blog. If someone endorses your service, product or property, make sure you share it with the world by including it on your website, blog and on your list of testimonials that you mail to prospective clients....