Let Your Visitors Choose Your KeywordsWritten by Maria Marsala
Sometimes we can be too close to our own websites. For example, while one person might call their rates - "rates"... you might call them "fees" or "price" or "cost" or "rack rate". Here's an unusual way to learn what "keywords" (words you use to find a web site using a search engine such as google) to add to your webpages and to maybe gain a little objectivity about your site, as well.In interest of making my growing web site easier for you - my viewers-to use, a few months ago I added an internal search engine feature to home page. One of bonuses of program I chose is that I receive a weekly (and monthly) report showing what words viewers are using to locate different things on my site. By watching words you're using, I know better which "keywords" to add to my site to make it easier for search engines to find. The program I recommend and use is http://www.freefind.com/. This system is free if your website is less than 32Mb of space. You'll receive a free weekly (and monthly) search report, automatic page updates, a site map (a listing of your web page and what pages link to other pages on your website) and a what's new page, if you'd like one.
| | Amazon Breaks ThroughWritten by Rob Spiegel
Surprise, surprise. Amazon did it. They made a profit. In late 2000, CEO Jeff Bezos promised he would deliver earnings by fourth quarter of 2001. Well, reporting is in and he delivered, against all street predictions. Amazon reported net profit of $5 million with an operating profit of $59 million. That's real money. Overall sales hit $1.1 billion, giving company its first billion-dollar quarter. Amazon still carries $2.2 billion in debt, but who's counting. Fact is, Amazon made Internet model work on a large and significant level.Amazon delivered its profits old fashioned way, by increasing sales and cutting down expenses. The company revamping its distribution in order to ship 35 percent more products without additional workers. For forth quarter, sales rose 15 percent while fulfillment costs shrank 22 million. Amazon also consolidated its shipping to save costs. Perhaps most important change came as Amazon decided to focus on its core expertise, books, music and video sales, a niche that has delivered profitability to company for many quarters. That doesn't mean Amazon isn't interested in selling toys, household goods or electronics. But during 2001, Amazon shifted much of that business to partnerships it forged with brick retailers such as Toys 'R' Us and Target. Amazon, it seems, is one smartest Internet retailers. The company has learned a bit about offline retailing operations. They created efficiencies in their warehousing, fulfillment and shipping while focusing on a niche. This is a lesson for K-Mart, mammoth retailer that filed for bankruptcy protection on very day Amazon reported its first profit. If you add Amazon's breakthrough to good news that came from 2001 Internet holiday season, you can expect venture community will take a new look at ecommerce this year, especially when economy begins to pick up speed. If spring of 2000 was end of first big Internet surge, spring of 2002 may beginning of ecommerce phase two. Actually, it will be more like Internet phase three, as Internet did have a small mid-1990s commercial surge dominated by porn and get-rich-quick purveyors.
|
