Color, technology, screen resolutions and cross browser compatibility are but only a few of them. Lately you also have to contend with and create instinctive navigation, search engine optimize your site effectively and ensure that all action pages are merely three clicks away from any given landing page to ensure effective conversion.

With all these considerations, where does one start?

Starting Out Right

I have always been one to believe that if you spend enough time planning your site upfront, you will definitely reap rewards upon its launch.

Prior to jumping straight into development of website, you would have 1.Established demand for a specific product or service in a given industry. 2.Researched and documented strategies of nearest competitors. 3.Estimated intended traffic and market audience site would receive

Only once you have established these points you turn to design.

Designing an effective yet attractive site is most time consuming part within production process.

Assisting Process

It is very important that initiator work closely with designer(s), copywriter(s) and developer(s) ensuring that they have access to all information regarding project, including: 1.Target audience 2.Competitors 3.Technology to be used (XHTML, Flash, Java etc.) 4.Site Map, or basic structure of site including pages and on page requirements

Once an initial design has been produced it is advisable that a web analytics or user behavior expert be brought into discussion to ensure that proposed design will convert as expected.

Visitors do not like to think when they are on a website. Present them with content that they are looking for and make it easy for them to find related information or make desired action such as purchasing, downloading or signing up to whatever it is that you wish them to do.

There are a few generic details to look out for to ensure that design is on right track, including: 1.Name of Site: The name of site (and logo) should be clearly visible and legible within header of site. This instills brand awareness and if a catchy name and logo are chosen, you will mostly likely find that your return visitor rate increases. 2.Instinctive navigation: Is it always clear exactly where you are within a site when you are on any given page within site? 3.Underlining of Links: Ensure that all links are underlined. This way outgoing page path and related information is immediately determined and visible to visitor on page load. 4.Actions: It almost seems redundant to say, but ensure actions you would like your visitors to take are always clear. During a page heat map research project, it was proven that most attention lies on right hand side of page. The top right corner being most effective area for actions to take place.

The second instalment of a two part article covering four most important areas of search marketing: natural and sponsored listings and viral and affiliate marketing. The first article expanded on differences between Natural listings and Sponsored or Pay-per-click listings (Left or Right – Which is best?) on SERPs.

This article will cover differences and advantages of viral and affiliate marketing. Why one would use it, and how you as a website owner may benefit from implementing comprehensive media strategies.

Viral Marketing

Viral marketing is mostly used to describe Internet-based marketing tactics and may include newsletters (mailers), web logs and other forms of online encouragement to create word of mouth for a new product or service and to create brand awareness.

In this example we concentrate on newsletters or mailers as principle form of viral marketing.

Compared to other marketing methods, email marketing is relatively inexpensive, immediate and has a wide reaching audience. It is primary interactive medium for marketing and communicating with clients and most accessible form of advertising for smaller companies to generate brand awareness.

As little as two years ago, there was a very negative connotation attached to user of mailers as most were considered to be spam.

The strange thing is that a recent survey by Pew Internet & American Life Project has found that email users are receiving slightly more spam than before, but they are minding it less. With volume of email messages having escalated in last two years, it has become imperative that companies that are using this as a marketing method make every effort to ensure that messages are contextually relevant to their customers.

Most mailers are now more targeted in their audience and websites endeavour to give their users choice of signing up to their newsletters and mailers rather than bulk emailing to a group of unsolicited email addresses which have not been pre-qualified.

The key to effective viral marketing is to build relationships with your users via permission based marketing methods. This ensures that your company accesses true potential of email marketing. You are benefiting your business in long run by forming lasting relationships and building brand awareness in audience it belongs.