Welcome to the June issue of Biz Talk! This publication is a free, subscription-based resource from Five Sparrows, LLC, which specializes in new web site development, web site re-designs, and complete online marketing services for small businesses.

We welcome your questions, comments, or inquiries at editor@fivesparrows.com. Enjoy!

Anchors Away!

How many types of “anchors” can you name? I can think of News Anchors who bring us the headlines on TV each day, those wall-anchor thingies that you hammer into a wall before hanging a heavy shelf, and of course my summer favorite – boat anchors. But the most valuable type of anchors for most small businesses is of course the anchor text that is used in the links on its web site.

What Is Anchor Text?

First, let’s be clear about what anchor text really is. Anchor text is the clickable part of a text link on a web page – it’s the text that is usually blue and underlined. As it turns out, the text you use in your link is hugely important to the search engines, especially to Google. The logic behind this is that if certain text is important enough to be used in a link, then that text MUST be something important, right? Well, apparently that’s what the search engine spiders think.

Choose Carefully

So it makes sense that you should choose the anchor text for your links very carefully, making sure to use your keywords and phrases as anchor text as much as you can. You may need to adjust your content a bit in order for the keywords to make sense as anchor text, but the benefits are typically worth it. Also, don’t waste the power of anchor text on generic terms like “click here” or “more.” Instead, be specific and descriptive with your anchor text, and weave in keywords and other meaningful text to take full advantage of the importance that the search engines place on anchor text.

For example, on the Five Sparrows web site we have a page that describes our web support & maintenance plans. (And yes, the link you just read is an example of anchor text, too!) Since this is a natural extension of new web site development, the first paragraph on that page has a link that takes users to our web site development services page. We used the anchor text “web site development” (which is also blue and underlined) because it not only describes the page where users will go if they click the link, it is also one of the keyword phrases that Five Sparrows targets on the page.

Hey Google, Listen Up

When you select text on your web page and turn it into a link, you are telling the search engines that the text is important. You’re giving Google a clue that the anchor text you selected is relevant to the content on your site, and that your site should be listed in the search results when users search for that text. You’re communicating with the search engines in a language they can understand!

So while boat anchors might be my personal summer-time favorite (well, the boat part anyway!), there’s not an anchor I can think of that has more impact on your small business marketing than the anchor text used in a web link. The search engines are paying close attention to the anchor text you choose for your links, so make sure that you are paying attention too.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Most of us have heard the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” all of our lives – we’ve heard it so much that it’s become a cliché. Cliché or not, it happens to be especially true when it comes to small business marketing.

Most of the time, you want your business to be on the minds of your customers and prospects. So don’t let your business stay “out of sight” for too long! Keeping your company name and message in front of customers on a regular basis can help trigger buy events and increase customer mindshare, which ultimately helps drive sales. Here are some ideas for keeping your business in-sight and in-mind so your sales continue to in-crease!

• E-Newsletters – Monthly E-newsletters are one of the most effective marketing tools available to small businesses today. They are typically inexpensive to send (especially when compared with their printed counterparts), and E-newsletter campaign results are completely measurable (e.g., how many clicks, opens, bounces, etc.). It’s also a great way to make sure that customers see your company name in their inboxes each month, reminding them that your business has the products/services that they need.
  
  
• Press Releases – Whether you’re announcing a new product, an employee promotion, or a client win, press releases are always useful in getting your company’s name (and links!) out there. You can use a traditional wire service distribution, or try some of the press release outlets on the web – many are low-cost or no-cost to use.
  
  
• Advertisements – A marketing stand-by since the beginning of marketing, advertising can be an effective way of getting attention for your business. To help keep costs down, look for web advertising opportunities, try smaller, local publications, or find creative ideas that can offer lots of exposure at a reasonable price (like magnetic signs for your car).
  
  
• Sponsorships – Another great way of staying in the spotlight is to sponsor an event or organization. Most sponsorship opportunities are designed to give you exposure in the community (e.g., your logo on signage, links to your web site, publicity opportunities, etc.). And sponsorships give you the added benefit of having your business associated with an event or organization that is beyond your own four walls.
  
  
• Search Engine Rankings – This is one tactic that helps build your business in lots of ways. Most of us know the benefits of good search engine rankings for driving web traffic and boosting sales, but being on the first page of Google can give your company exposure millions of times per day, every day! Just be sure you have properly optimized your site so that when your business comes up in a search, your company name and description are visible in the results.

A Lean, Mean, Marketing Machine

Today’s sluggish economy can be tough for small businesses, but there are steps you can take to tighten your belt and still get great results from your marketing efforts. One way to do this is to trim the excess from your marketing budget, leaving only the best, most cost-effective tactics to do the work. Below are five tips that can help you save some money as well as help you build your own lean, mean, marketing machine, so give them a try!

1. Objective Analysis – Take a good look at the marketing activities you are currently investing in. Are they really working for you, or are you doing them because it’s always been that way? Before you renew your ad in the Yellow Pages or print that annual catalog, make sure they are still bringing in dollars and are really worth the investment.
   
   
2. Test & Measure – By keeping track of marketing campaign results, you can easily spot the activities that work well for your business and also identify the ones that don’t. Spend your dollars on the winners and dump the losers.
   
   
3. Update Your Web Site – When times are tough, customers tend to take longer to make buying decisions and thoroughly research their options before making purchases. And where do they turn to do this research? The web, of course! That’s why it’s important that your web site is up-to-date and can stand up to the inevitable comparisons to your competitors.
   
   
4. Segment Your Lists – When considering a new marketing campaign, be sure to segment your lists so you can weed-out the unlikely prospects. Spend your marketing dollars only on your “best-bets” to keep costs down and ROI up.
   
   
5. Use Web Marketing – Finding new prospects is easy and cost-effective when you use online marketing strategies. E-newsletters, web advertising, Google click-ads, and search engine marketing are typically far less expensive than traditional advertising and direct mail activities. Replace the pricey, old-school marketing tactics with some new online initiatives to get great results while keeping the budget under control.

Careful spending of your marketing budget can certainly help during an economic downturn, but it’s also good practice for the long-term success of your business. Don’t be afraid to try new things, especially new web initiatives that are typically inexpensive to test drive. Keep track of what works so you can build on your successes and drop the activities that don’t produce great results for your business.

Additional FREE web updates

If you’re not already on a web support & maintenance plan, what are you waiting for? An updated web site is one of your biggest business assets, but it needs fresh content and updated information in order to be taken seriously by customers and the search engines.

Because this is so important to your business, Five Sparrows is offering additional FREE web updates on all our support & maintenance plans this month only. Purchase any one of our support & maintenance plans between now and June 30, 2008 and get extra updates for free as follows: Premium Plan: 2 extra updates Enhanced Plan: 1 extra update Basic Plan: 1 extra update

Our support & maintenance plans are flexible, customizable service plans that are available annually, semi-annually, quarterly, or monthly – designed to meet the needs of your business AND your budget.

Contact us today to get started, or you can find additional details and information on our web site at www.fivesparrows.com/maint.htm.

You're Invited...

Come See Us Tommorow, June 6, at the Brighton Business Breakfast Expo!

Did we mention that you can meet Detroit Tiger's pitcher Nate Robertson? Who's YOUR Tiger??????

Biz Talk is a Free Publication of Five Sparrows, LLC

Five Sparrows is a Michigan web site development firm and search engine optimization provider offering a complete line of web site marketing strategies and services designed especially for small businesses.

Because Five Sparrows specializes in working with small businesses, we understand their specific needs and challenges.  We offer a full range of products and services at a fraction of the cost of what traditional marketing and web site firms charge, all designed to help small businesses get a big-company presence on a small company budget.

Our services include web site development and re-design, online shopping, search engine optimization, e-newsletters, email marketing, search engine reporting & monitoring, and more.

Contact us today at editor@fivesparrows.com, or call us at 810.923.1874 to see how we can help your business!

Five Sparrows values your privacy and will never share, sell, or rent your information to anyone, and you may unsubscribe from this publication at any time.

Copyright 2008 Five Sparrows, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
3889 Hartland Hills, Hartland, MI 48353
www.fivesparrows.com