Well, I must say, I’ve tried Bing and I liked it.  Maybe it’s because they’ve listed SD Interactive as the Number #1 result for “San Diego Interactive Agency”? Perhaps! Although I think my fondness for Bing is more likely rooted in the fact that I truly do like the fact that they are “trying” to take market share away from Google and because of it they (and Google, in response) are improving the way you get your search results.

The million dollar question remains though, will Microsoft be able to attract enough users to really make a difference? I don’t think so but… even at 8% market share,.. Bing is at the very least still a viable option for many search engine marketers. Time will tell, of course, but for now the majority of our client’s money will remain with Google.

We’ve come a long way baby!

Not sure why I am admitting this but last week I was listening to a telecast of the Rick Dee’s weekly top 40, a show that was originally broadcast in January of 1999. During the show, Rick proudly announced that he could be found on the “World Wide Web” at Rick.com. After I stopped laughing it dawned on me that we, in the Internet Industry, have come a long way since those early days.

Here is a list of positive changes I have seen:

Then:

Banner Ads

Now:

Search Engine Marketing (we love you Google)

Then:

Usenet Groups

Now:

Social Media Marketing (we love you Facebook and Twitter)

Then:

Dialup

Now:

The World’s Fastest Internet Connection

Then:

Spending Without Accountability

Now:

Spending With Accountability

Then:

Hitbox Analytics for a Fee

Now:

FREE Google Analytics

Then:

Brochure Websites

Now:

Interactive Websites for Many Types of Visitors

Then:

“Users”

Now:

“Prospects”, “Customers”, “Visitors”

I could go on and on…

Still some things haven’t changed. Online success has always been about driving qualified traffic to your site, improving the conversion rate via site and communication improvements, and retaining your customers via loyalty programs and email marketing. Additionally, it has always been about positioning your website to meet the unique and diverse needs of your target audience. It is amazing to me that with all of our advances, our conversion rates overall (as an Industry) are dropping. Maybe by remembering yesteryear (with or without Rick Dees on in the background) we can all get back to the fundamentals of Online Marketing that have been with us since day one.

Positioning Yourself as an Expert.

Is your website in touch with what you do best? Does your website reflect the true strengths of your company? Are you taking leadership? When it comes to marketing yourself online, it is important that your website represent your expertise in whatever it is you do. Positioning, yourself as an expert, is in fact exactly what your customer wants. Think about it another way, would “you” want to do business with someone who is not a specialist in their field.

Below are tips that will help better position your website today:

1) Professional Web Design – One of the most essential elements in conveying your credibility is the look and feel of your website. Do you have a quality design or a site that looks like it was built in 1999? Remember, you only have 3-5 seconds to make an impression. Make sure, it’s a good one.
2) Clean Navigation – Does your site have an easy navigational structure? Or is it cluttered with choice? Most users can only process 5-6 main navigational topics, so better to keep it simple. Besides, can you really be an expert if you specialize in a thousand and one topics?
3) Text – If you don’t tell them you are qualified, they won’t know it. AND while your website copy should really try to solve customer’s needs, there is no harm in letting customers know about your expert skills (which, come to think of it, is an answer to a customer need).
4) Logo and Certifications – Visually, there is no better way to prove your expertise on your website. Add every relevant award, affiliation, and educational certificate you can to your site. If you have an e-commerce site, Better Business Bureau and Versign type security certificates provide an added layer of protection and credibility to your site.
5) Be Mistake Free – Nothing screams amateur more than a website with typos, misspellings, broken links, and faulty navigation. If you can, proof your site often and respond quickly to any communication that spots your errors.

Positioning yourself as an expert provides you with many benefits including improved sales/conversions, an ability to charge more money for the same service, and enjoying a true brand differentiator. Today, with so many “authoring” tools such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogging there are many ways to convey your “authority” and win more deals! So, what are you waiting for…??!!