Wow. Big Day here at Engine Marketing. Our First WordPress Plugin is Released. This is a simple plugin for people to use add a Custom Widget to the Dashboard of the WordPress Install. The idea behind this was you may want to install some custom code in a widget but don't want to develop an actual widget or in our case we thought it would be a good idea to actually install a video in WordPress to train our clients. Saves them hunting for it somewhere else.

The Plugin is just like any other can be uploaded Via FTP and activated or uploaded via the Plugin Installer.

Watch the Video below to see how to use it.

Download The Custom Dashboard Widget Plugin here

Custom Dashboard Widget is a post from: Engine Marketing

How do I Choose a Domain Name?

So I decided to create a video for everyone to teach you how to do it and what is needed in picking the best domain name for your niche or small business.

When it comes to SEO a domain name plays an important part in targetting a specific keyword and can really help you get your first foot hold in the door of Google.

It is one of the many things you can do to help lift your search engine rankings. Along with this make sure you have our ebook that is at the bottom of the page which will give you further tips on how to get more local traffic to your website!

How to Choose a Domain Name is a post from: Engine Marketing

One way to attract more search engine visitors locally is to use local keywords when optimizing your site. For example, if you offer web design services in Arizona, research keywords and include keywords with your location when optimizing your pages.

You should also submit your site for free local search engine listings in local business search directories . There are several local ones to choose from but Google and Yahoo are the two big ones. When you submit you can add details about your business including your address, office hours and so on. You can also grab a link to a map of your location which you can place on your website.

When targeting local clients, placing your local address, phone number and a link to a Google map of your business at the very bottom of the page footer may help in your local search engine results.

Local Business Search Directories can also be a good source of leads and traffic, but make sure you research the directory to see if it will actually produce results for you. There are many business directories popping up and you’ll want to choose one with a good reputation and which can produce results.

But don’t stop there; remember to include your website address on your business cards and local mailings so that local customers can view your website at their convenience. With many local business owners yet to get into the online marketing game, by starting early you’ll stand out from your local competitors.

A Few Good New Zealand Directories to start off with are..

www.NZS.com

www.Hotfrog.co.nz

www.Finda.co.nz

and our new Article Directory and Link Directory - Budo.co.nz

Local Business Search Directories is a post from: Engine Marketing

The reason is that people come to your site to get information. You have to:

• Give them what they want or they’ll leave within seconds.

• Keep them on your site long enough to convince them that dealing with you is the smart choice.

• Get them to act as you want.

You need words for this – the right messages, written effectively.

1. Talk benefits

People come to your site because they want something for themselves. They’re not
interested in you. All they want to know about you is that you can give them what
they want. So restrict all talk about you and your company to things that either build
credibility or sell benefits.

2. Start with the most important statement

Websites should be written like news articles. Put the news first. When I started as a
newspaper reporter in the 1980s, an older colleague gave me this tip: “Imagine you get
home after work. Ask yourself what’s the first thing you’ll tell your family about this
matter. That’s the news.” Every page on your site should start with the most important
statement. You can give background and explanations later.

3. Make your headline count

“Welcome” is a wasted headline, seen on far too many home pages. Unless you’re
offering accommodation or hospitality, you’re not in the “welcome” business. Your
headline is the most read thing on your site. Often it’s the only thing people read before
clicking away. So make it count.

4. Be clear about what you do

Say what it is you do. Yes, offering “integrated solutions” sounds fancy, but what the hell
is it actually? If you sell Swiss watches or dig ditches, say so. If you struggle to express
what you do, think what someone would type into Google to find you. That’s what you
do.

5. Pitch the writing to the audience

Think about the target audience and how familiar or unfamiliar they might be with your
field of expertise. Generally, it’s best to assume readers are reasonably intelligent, but

don’t know everything you know. If you have to use an industry term, slip an explanation
into the text. This is especially critical when you use acronyms. These are not only often
unfamiliar outside your industry (or even outside your company), but the same three
letters can stand for vastly different things in different contexts. TLC can stand for Tender
Loving Care or Torture, Lashing & Cruelty.

6. Use simple language

All it takes is for people not to understand one word and they lose the thread, making
your message ineffective. Also, given immigration patterns and the global nature of the
Internet, many of your readers may not be native English speakers. So don’t use bigger
words than you have to. E.g. use means the same as utilise, in one syllable instead of
three. Most of the times when you write in order to, you can delete the first two words for
no loss of meaning.

7. Present information in easy bites

People tend to skim to find what they’re interested in. So use many sub-headings and
make them meaningful. Keep paragraphs and sentences short. Break your text into bits
that make logical sense.

Which begs the question: How long should your text be overall?

An often quoted rule of thumb is that text on screen should be less than half as long as it
would be on paper. There is a kernel of truth in this, but it’s one that has to be taken with
a pinch of salt. Sometimes two sentences are too many and sometimes ten aren’t enough.
Copy cannot be too long; it can only be too boring. So say what you have to say in as
many words as it takes… and no more.

8. Vary the text formatting for effect

Avoid big slabs of grey text. Use variation such as bold highlights, sub-headings and
bullet points to make the text more visually attractive and help readers find the key points
they want to read about. (And while we’re talking about visual aspects: Talk to your
designers to make sure the font is of legible size and standard lines aren’t much longer
than 60 characters or so.)

9. Write for machines and people

Websites are read by machines as well as by people. You need the machines (search
engines) to read it and rank it. But you also need people to read it and respond as you’d
like them to.

Search engines like search terms. So put them in your web copy – preferably in
headlines, the first paragraph and a number of times in the text. But don’t waste effort
trying to fool search engines. They’re getting smarter all the time. I believe they will
eventually judge text more and more the way people do.

So while you should make sure to use search terms, you should never forget that you’re
writing for people. It makes no sense to lure people to your site through search engines
and then not to convert them once they’ve come.

10. Don’t forget to sell

If your site is well thought through, it should be there to get a certain response. Guide
readers to do what you want. Make it easy for them.

And just to show that there is always occasion to break a rule, this set of ten rules has
an eleventh: There is always occasion to break a rule. But do so knowingly to achieve a
desired effect, not through ignorance.

About the Author:
Zirk van den Berg is a professional copywriter with decades of experience. He
offers his services as Website Writer from Auckland, New Zealand, under the Say
Communications banner. www.websitewriter.co.nz

Web Copywriting made easy.

10 Ways to Boost Your Business With Better Web Copywriting is a post from: Engine Marketing

Engine Marketing Limited Presents Domain Fox your new solution for managing your domain names! Plus you get to deal with the Handsome and ever Charismatic staff of Engine Marketing. That is actually Priceless.

So feel Free to transfer any Domain names you have with the more expensive Domain Registrars to us all you Need is your UDAI key which they can provide.

The Step by Step to Transfer your Domain is.

1. Set up an Account in Domain Fox. (Then Login)

2. Click Tranfer Domain

3. It will Request your UDAI number(From your current domain registrar) and your Domain name.

4. Along the way you will see a little check box to Keep Name Servers the Same. Make Sure this is ticked.

Once done you will be a Proud Domain Fox Customer.. You can feel proud.. hold your head up high and tell all your friends.

As Sharing is Cool....

Remember that URL http://www.domainfox.co.nz for all your New Zealand Domain Registrations

Any Questions Leave a Comment Stalk the team on Facebook or Twitter or if you really get stuck give us a call on 09 889 3832.

Thanks Guys,

Stephen Martin and Aki Lee

The Fox Lives is a post from: Engine Marketing

Unlike with putting a stall at the mall, doing business online saves you from paying the rent. Plus doing business online will have your products shown worldwide. This leads to a higher chance of having your products being sold. Social Media like Facebook and linkedin help you to network and re-connect with business contacts you’ve lost touch with.

Some of the known social networking sites are Facebook and Linkedin I would class them as the top when it came to Social Media and Business. At first, facebook started as more of a personal networking site. To keep in touch with your old and new friends and relatives. Facebook then started adding some features that make it great for business. You can be yourself and share your interests while doing your business at the same time.

On the other hand, Linkedin is the leading professional networking site, and is a great tool for business people. The average age of someone on Linkedin is 40 which says alot for the business asspects of Linkedin and business.

In contrast to Facebook, LinkedIn disallowed opportunities to post photo albums or to converse freely with the contacts. You can only invite people you know.  According to Wikipedia, Facebook has 400 million members while linkedin has 19 million members and growing. It is hard though to track down exact numbers as each grow by thousands a day.

With Linkedin the sometimes favourite among business networking websites, you can only share your profile picture and can join groups within the network that interest you. In 2007, many business leaders started moving onto Facebook. More and more each day, it is becoming known partly due to the publicity about Facebook and word of mouth, but the ease of use and ability to customize your profile has been another driver.

When you want to know where an old colleague is working now, you use LinkedIn. When you want to find out if that same colleague is married and if they have kids, you use Facebook. Another reason Linkedin seems to have taken the front foot with business networking is that facebook has 70% of its users under 35. This means it bodes great things for the future as this group ages.  If it ever hits the share market I would say buy up large.

I personally use Facebook and Linkedin but would say Facebook is my business application of choice. As with Business Fan Pages and Facebook Ads now becoming more popular it is a great way of driving traffic to your website when used correctly.

Simply knowing what, where, and how your target market communicates will give you insight on whether you will focus on a more professional network like LinkedIn or a more friends and family network like Facebook. The first step you need to consider before you begin to truly use social media is you must know your target market.

So who is your Target Market?

Facebook, Linkedin and Business is a post from: Engine Marketing

Today I want to touch on the subject of Local Search Engine Marketing and how it affects business. It seems to be the area I am having the most questions asked about.

Be it Google, Yahoo or Bing we all want to rank at the top for our Local Search Terms we are targeting.  These are the Keywords we are aiming for in our local area e.g. a motorcycle retailer may be targeting "Harley Davidson Lower Hutt" or "Motorcycle Sales Lower Hutt".

There are really 3 ways of targeting the Local Business Search Engine Field and I wish to give you a bit more indepth information below.

1. Google Adwords

If you have used Google Adwords before you will know they are the ads on the right hand side of your google browser when searching for a word(Sometimes they are at the top of the page to). Now this is the way google makes money. It sells ads on the search engine results to business's like you and me.

2. Google Search Engine Optimisation

This is when the site appears on the left hand side of the google listings. It is what a lot of people talk about when you hear them say is your "website optimized for google".

This is made up of a variety of factors including links coming in to the site and different ways of tagging content on the page(Lots of Geeky Stuff). The better your site is created for this the easier Google will be able to rank it high on a particular keyword.

E.g. if you have a Page Devoted to Howick Computer Store as a Key Phrase you are more likely to do well for that keyword in Google than companies that don't.

3. Googles Local Business Directory

This is a great part of what Google is doing to help local business and can be seen on most local searches. If you have seen a Map with business's pop up in your local area that is the Local Business Directory from Google.

This is a Free Tool and if used correctly can be a great way of driving customers to your website. We Liked it so much we wrote a Report on it Here.

In Summary

All of the above are fantastic resources for targeting local business terms but make sure you know how to use them. This is why we wrote a great little free report called "Dominate Your Local Market" we initially were going to sell it but decided to give it away to help people understand how to get listed on Googles Local Business Directory which is the number one way in my opinion to rank for your Local Search Engine Marketing Terms.

So if we have piqued your interest in Local Search Engine Marketing Techniques and you want to learn more. Grab the Free Report Here.

Local Search Engine Marketing is a post from: Engine Marketing

1) Set your currency
First and foremost, select the currency of which you locally trade in. You may think its wise to start your Adwords account in USD, but if you do not live in the USA you may get a shock when you find how much you have been charged.

2) Use negative keywords
You are using the Adwords service to generate website traffic, so obviously you want the right traffic to generate revenue. Start by using negative keywords for people whom you do not want to click on your advert, the best place to start is the keyword “free”. As I doubt you want to waste money on traffic that will not generate revenue.

3) Make a strict daily budget
Make sure you have set out a daily budget, Adwords generally advise a way out of proportion budget. After all most new Adwords customers have no idea how effective the advertising will be. Do not start off with a bang, your pocket will feel it.

Just as important as the budget, be careful with the CPC rate. I advise you to start with a low number, each click soon adds up very quickly. I actually found that by lowering my CPC rate by 50% I doubled my visitor count…

4) Check those clicks!
One of the most talked about problem with Adwords is, click fraud. There are two main types of click fraud: the first is when any one starts clicking away at your advertisements trying to waste your money. It is very hard to stop this kind of fraud, if you are a victim stop your ads and file a report to Google ASAP.

The second main issue is now that google allows Web Developers to earn money off their websites by placing ads (Adsense) .some Web Developers try to cheat the system by clicking on their ads as much as possible. The best way to stop this kind of fraud is check your page log, Adwords allow you to block out websites that you do
not want your advert to be placed on.

Adwords does not have many protections against Click fraud, although they do disable Adsense accounts who cheat. Google are very hesitant to refund the victims, if at all. Reports tell many organisations are actually suing Google to get their money back, so be careful.

In this article I have illustrated some of the most beneficial ways to save money on Adwords. My main advice to you is, do not go crazy with your spending. You may not see the results you are after, it does take a wile to get to know Adwords. I have had many successful ad campaigns using the Adwords network. However I do advise to look around, with the ever growing popularity of MSN search you may actually find it much more affordable.

Most important though is get a pro to look at it. If you had never worked on a car engine before you wouldn't go straight to replacing the head gasket, so Why do the same with Adwords. Adwords can be a costly learning curve if you are unsure what you are doing.

Have a chat with us at Engine Marketing and we are happy to help. Even if it is to give you a 2 hour lesson on how to do it yourself. You will be better off. This is the biggest tip on How to Save Money on Adwords

Save money on Adwords is a post from: Engine Marketing

The way Facebook works (if you don’t already know) is that a person joins, and then makes his or her own page which often includes basic information as well as a picture or two.  The person then becomes friends with others that he or she knows, and can then communicate by leaving comments on each others pages (that everyone that is a friend can see).

Businesses have been using Facebook with much success.  People spend a ton of time on this social network, and it can be a fantastic way to get the word out about your business.

Let’s look at a Business Facebook example:

Sally likes getting her hair done at the local salon.  Let’s say that the salon has their own Facebook page, and Sally is a member of it.  The salon posts a comment on Sally’s page, and all of Sally’s friends can see it.  The salon just exposed itself to ALL of Sally’s friends!  Jessica, one of Sally’s friends sees the information on the salon, and gives the salon a call because she likes Sally’s hair.

Facebook can also help to add “social proof” to your business.  Once you start building a list of friends for your business, you can share this directly on your business website.  This will help potential customers see that your business is thriving, and established.

Facebook works particularly well in niches such as restaurants and salons, but can be applied to just about any business.

How Can Facebook Help Your Business? is a post from: Engine Marketing

Quick Rules of Thumb - Stick to 3 to 5 colors when plotting a website - When in doubt, use white for the background color, and black for the text color Using Your Company’s Logo colors If your company already has a logo designed by a professional – fantastic! This is the best starting point for choosing your website’s color combination. You may choose to use the exact colors found in your logo, or even add some complimentary colors. But, it is vital not to stray too far from your logo’s color scheme in order to keep your company’s identity consistent.

Color Defines Mood

The colors of your website are vital because they can elicit different emotions from your visitors. colors can make us pleased, excited, mad or sad. Below is a list of colors along with the corresponding moods which they evoke:

Warm Colors Red: aggressiveness, passion, strength, vitality Pink: femininity, innocence, softness, health Orange: fun, cheeriness, warm exuberance Yellow: positive thinking, sunshine, cowardice

Cool Colors Green: tranquility, health, freshness Blue: authority, dignity, security, faithfulness Purple: sophistication, spirituality, costliness, royalty, mystery

Neutral Colors Brown: utility, earthiness, woodiness, subtle richness White: purity, truthfulness, being contemporary and refined Gray: somberness, authority, practicality, corporate mentality Black: seriousness, distinctiveness, boldness, being classic

Choosing a Color Scheme Once you know the colors and their connotations, the next step is to choose a color scheme for your website. Below is list of different types of color combinations: Monochromatic color combinations use a single color. Variations in lightness of the selected color can be used to make the sense of different colors. Monochromatic colors go well together, producing a soothing effect, and are very simple on the eyes. The drawback but, is that, it can be hard to highlight the most vital elements on your website.

Analogous color schemes use colors that are related, but not the identical, to make visually attractive combinations. Choosing this type of color scheme is accomplished by picking colors that are close to each other on the color wheel. For example, a selection of blues and purples, or reds and oranges would make a excellent analogous combination. One color must be picked as the dominant color while the others are used as accents. Complementary (or contrasting) color schemes are comprised of 2 colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. This combination is most appealing when a warm and a cool color are used. For example, red with green or blue work well as contrasting colors. Using one color for your background, and its complementary color to highlight key elements will give you color dominance and color contrast. One word of caution: it is hard for the human eye to focus on contrasting colors at the same time. Therefore, it is best to avoid using strong contrasts for background and text colors.

From our American Writer Liam Smith, (Excuse the use of Colors not Colours)

Website Color Scheme is a post from: Engine Marketing