Combining Electronic Media For Web 2.0 Presence

The rules for success on the internet change frequently. There is a constant evolutionary process in which the search engines are attempting to deliver the most helpful results while webmasters attempt to construct sites that will show up at the top of searches whether or not they are the most helpful.

Web 2.0 is changing all that. Essentially, people get to vote on the value of content. Search engine optimization is still important, but what's more important is public recognition (in the form of inbound links). While it was once the case that one needed to court webmasters to accomplish this popularity, now the average person gets to vote via social network and content contribution sites.

Nowadays the individual can wield a fair amount of internet power through the extended network of their social media friends on facebook, myspace or linked in. They can get the word out about their work or their opinion via podcasts or YouTube videos.

Webmasters are finding that a positive reputation has a viral effect and that it is most easily achieved by giving away a lot of value. Once the public comes to regard an individual or site as a fountain of wisdom, the task of sales becomes far easier.

In recognition of this fact, new businesses are cropping up to create and deliver value via a wide range of media. I found myself in need of a video expert and elected to combine my internet marketing talents with Wes Wolcott of Wolcott Digital Media so that people could have everything in one place. Visit New Earth Arts to see what I mean.

Pretty Sites Lose Money, Ugly Sites Make Money

Ever notice that when you are doing searches that there are some very pretty sites if you look deep in the search pages? Why is that? Because search engines run on words and not art, and because page rank is also determined by link popularity and popularity is determined by usefulness. Another reason is that in order to make money, certain standard items need to occupy the top of the page, such as the offer, the opt-in and the pitch.

This means that if you want your site to make money, your site needs to use the right words, be useful to people and contain certain standard elements. The bad news is that a site like that won't be pretty; instead it will be functional. The good news is that this is far less expensive than hiring a Macromedia Flash designer and winding up with a very pretty site several thousand dollars later.

It turns out that words can make or break you. I can't stress this enough. Many people approach search-engine optimization as an afterthought when it needs to be the first thought. It is a good idea to do keyword research before trying to come up with a domain name. It is an even better idea to re-think your business model based on what keyword research reveals about the market.

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