Working The Web - Is Pay Per Click Eating Your Lunch? — Here's How to Make It Pay Off BIG!

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By Hector Cisneros

You’re an internet entrepreneur, all excited with your new business, idea or product and you're told by many that you can get on page one of Google using AdWords (Google PPC platform is also known as pay per click). You are certain that the key to your success is being found on Google, so you sign up for AdWords or AdWords Express, give them your credit card info and fill out the AdWords Wizard. A week goes by, then two, then four and you soon realize a lot of money is going out, but little is coming in from your advertising. We have seen this same scenario play out so many times, on Google, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other platforms, so much so, that it’s almost a cliché. Sometimes a business starts out with some success, but before you know it, the only company making money from your pay per click advertising is the pay per click platform itself. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explain the right way to go about setting up and using any pay per click platform because PPC advertising, shouldn’t be eating your lunch, it should be making you money. So, put away your credit card and take out your notepad, as we show you how to turn your pay per click advertising, into clicks that produce cash.

Making Pay Per Click Pay Big Dividends

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By Hector E. Cisneros

There's no question pay per click Internet advertising is an effective means of garnering leads and finding prospects for many companies. However, large numbers of small businesses have found they've yet to crack the code needed to make pay per click profitable. Pay per click has many elements and it has often been compared to art rather than science.  In this article, we'll explore the ins and outs of pay per click and teach you how to hedge your bets so that pay per click pays big dividends for your business.

Making Pay-Per-Click Payoff – Part I

By Hector Cisneros

Image courtesy Pixabay

When it comes to generating leads for a business, pay-per-click internet advertising is an effective means of finding prospects for many companies. However, many marketing managers have found is that they lack the skills needed to make pay-per-click profitable. Pay-per-click platforms abound, yet every search engine and social nets that offer this advertising vehicle require marketers to learn their proprietary system.  In this article we’ll teach you how to hedge your bets so pay-per-click pays off big for your business.

The Four Golden Keys to Maximizing Online Sales

By Hector Cisneros

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Ever wish you knew the magic formula for selling products and services online? My business partner Carl Weiss and I have been managing online advertising since the late 1990’s. This includes organic search position (aka SEO), banner ads, pay per click, directory ads and the latest foray which started around 2007, that of social media marketing and social pay per click. These advertising mediums evolve rapidly. We have devised more ways to engage in these types of advertising than I care to remember. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore four principles that are the keys to maximizing online sales. We call these principles “The Four Golden Keys.” These keys will open new marketing doors for you and your company, so read this information carefully and don’t leave anything out of the process.  

Google’s Secret Ranking System - Harder for You, More Profits for Them

By Hector Cisneros

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Anyone that advertises on the internet today is aware that Google has changed it's search ranking algorithms several times this year. In April many website owners found that they had suddenly lost their page one ranking. Many fell off the first four pages altogether. Google’s Penguin and Panda updates altered search so that you could no longer get page one position with black hat techniques alone. Google announced that they were doing this because they want page listing to be decided based on the value provided by the page’s content, not by gaming the system with technical tricks. Google wants a true popularity contest based on good content.

Their new algorithms make it much harder to use black hat tricks to get on page one. Keyword relevance, content relevance plus timely and consistency are now king. Positive feedback and social media usage now denote "more meaningful value." What this all means to the average business owner is that it’s much harder to get on page one than ever before.

Can you Prosper With Paid Web Advertising Alone? You can if you do it Right

By Hector Cisneros

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There is no doubt that Google is the biggest advertising player on the World Wide Web today. You can advertise on Google Ads (formally AdWords), Google's Banner Network, and YouTube just to name a few of its advertising properties. But is Google  advertising all you need? Is ad placement the best way to generate bonafide leads and are those calls you get saying your Google listing needs to be updated real or just some ad agency fishing for business. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore the ins and outs of advertising with Google, show you what mistakes to watch out for and provide you with several ways to maximize your return on your marketing investment.

Working the Web: Making Sense of Online Marketing

By Hector Cisneros

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Have you ever entered a conversation about marketing and became instantly perplexed by the terminology being bantered around? Did you get confused trying to follow the how, what, when, and where in the marketing plan? At the end of the conversation, did it seem like an epic tale spoken in Greek? If this is where you are with regards to internet marketing then this article is for you. This article is part of a series that is designed to cover basic terminology and actionable elements, as well as give specific steps for developing your own marketing plan.

The ABCs of Online Marketing

By Hector Cisneros

Image courtesy Pixabay

Online marketing has come a long way since the turn of the century.  Yet the underlying principles remain the same.  That being said, if it seems as though your marketing people are speaking in tongues every time they open their mouths, it’s high time you got up to speed on what the acronyms that marketers use actually mean.  Below is an alphabetized list that will allow you to translate most of what any marketer says into plain English.

7 Case Studies To help you Win at internet Marketing

By Hector Cisneros

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In the almost ten years that Working the Web to Win has been in existence, we have met with over a thousand prospects and over 300 clients. What amazes me is that many of both the prospect and clients make the same marketing mistakes. We thought we would put together a resource article to help businesses avoid these common marketing mistakes. After thinking about it, we decided to provide a list of some of our best articles along with an abbreviated case study covering each of the top seven digital marketing venues. So, in this episode, we will take a close look at the most common mistakes actual clients and prospects have made in the top seven digital marketing venues used on the World Wide Web today. So buckle up and tune into this week's BTR show, and be ready to have the facts come at you fast and succinctly as we provide 7 case studies to help you win at Internet Marketing.  

How to Make This Year, Your Best Year Ever!

By Hector Cisneros

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It’s a new year. Is this going to be your best year yet or just another so-so year, or worse, a bad year? Are you going to make this year the year your company breaks through to the next level or are you going to just let things happen like always? What if I told you that any company could have a great year, every year, even when the economy is in a downturn. Yes, I am saying that even if the economy goes south, you could still have a better year this year than last. How do you accomplish this? By following a seven-point formula for success. No, it doesn’t include “using a secret incantation” or following a “business guru” to Las Vegas for a weekend retreat. It requires following a seven-point formula that lazy business owners aren’t willing to stop and follow.  In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore in detail, a seven-point program that leads to success whenever it is employed. So, get ready to learn the seven steps of successful businesses so you can create your best year ever.

Why Pay Per Click Frustrates So Many?

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And What You Can Do to Get Better Results

By Hector Cisneros

Google AdWords is one of the most used and successful internet marketing tools available today. For many, it can be instant online gratification that can generate exposure, produce leads, and sales. For others, it can become a black hole that eats profits and produces little in the way of tangible results. Why does this immense dichotomy exist?  The answer is ignorance. Ignorance of the complexities of this platform can lead to many online marketing mistakes. The worst part is even once you get it right, you have to bear in mind this PPC platform is always evolving as Google strives to improve its product. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore seven common issues that frustrate businesses and pay per click managers alike when using Google AdWords (now called Google Ads).  So, take out your notepad to write down some e-tips, so you can avoid the pitfalls and learn how to profit by using AdWords.

Are Hector the Connector Predictions Right 99.9% of The Time? You Bet!

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By Hector E. Cisneros

Every year I write a predictions article based on what I see coming to the web in the not so distant future. These predictions cover the gamut from conventional advertising, to digital marketing, from new tech toys for our homes and personal use, to innovative game changing technologies that will alter the world as we know it. Some of my predictions are based on research, visible trends and the emergence of breakthrough technologies. Others are based on what I see as missing in a world full of me too products, poor customer service and blatant false advertising. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, I am going to go out on a limb (again) and see if I can keep my 98.5% prediction batting average streak going for another year. So read on and discover what my crystal ball has in store for 2016 and beyond.

Content Marketing Tips and Best Practices for the 21st Century

By Hector Cisneros

Content Marketing has become a buzz word of today’s marketing professionals, yet most of these honest, hard-working individuals only know part of what it means to be successful in this arena. Many, only work in one or two areas of content marketing like blogging, producing videos or posting to Facebook. What does it really take to be a successful content marketer? What are the principles followed and the marketing elements used to achieve success? In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore four of Working the Web to Win’s primary Success principles. We will also cover seven of our main marketing processes so that you will understand and implement our successful methods. So, let’s delve into these content Marketing Tips and Best Practices as we cover Content Marketing in the 21^st Century.

26 Key Marketing Phrases that Every Business Owner Needs to Know

By Hector Cisneros

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We live in a world that is filled with techie terms and acronyms – Why? It's because people get lazy and don’t want to write or say a long phrase, so they abbreviate it and create acronyms. However, once these acronyms are created, they become communications weapons that advertisers use to bedazzle their prospects and clients. In our business, I hear sales reps talking in tongues, using words like SERPS, PPC, CPA, KPI, and GDPR as they present their wares as if they were magicians offering up magic incantations that produce miraculous page one results. The truth be told is that rarely do their claims match their results and it is because of this that most advertisers have a bad reputation. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore the top 26 key marketing phrases plus another 76, (102 in total) that are used in acronym form to bedazzle prospects. Our intention is to remove the veil of mystery from these words so our audience can make intelligent decisions when an advertising sales rep says – we can provide great clicks or Impressions, you can ask them, "What kind of conversions can you guarantee and what is the cost of client acquisition?” So, break out your notebook and copy down the phrases and definitions, and arm yourself with these 26 key marketing phrases as your shield against any bedazzling advertising sales rep.

Are You Prepared for Mobilgeddon?

By Carl Weiss

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We live in the end times, right? At least that’s what Google wants you to think. Most are probably somewhat familiar with the term “Armageddon,” which is the biblical prediction for the end of the world.  Well Google's latest update is being dubbed Mobilegeddon because it means the end of high ranking for websites that are not mobile compliant.

21 Common Marketing Mistakes That Lead to Advertising Failure

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By Hector Cisneros

Wouldn’t it be great if you could run an ad and it produced great results the first time it ran? It also would be great if every advertiser told you the strength and weakness of their marketing program? Or, if you made a mistake, that the advertiser would allow you to make a change so that you won’t keep throwing your money away for a year?  When I speak with business owners, I often hear them say that advertising is like gambling. To a great extent, this is true! But it doesn’t have to be. If you take the time to vet both the vendor and the process, you can eliminate a lot of the risk, especially if you pick a vendor who provides guarantees. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore 21 common marketing mistakes that businesses make when advertising their products or services. So, learn how to prevent or eliminate any mistakes in your current or future marketing foray as you read “Common Marketing Mistakes That Lead to Advertising Failure.”

Hector The Connector's Internet Marketing Predictions are 99% Accurate

By Hector Cisneros

Every year I write my prediction article because it's a fun and useful thing to do. It forces me to do some serious research and to take a hard look at what may happen in the near future. I take prognosticating seriously, even though I know my prognosticating is only as good as my research and instinct. Having said that, I have been right 97% of the times in the last six years. I am sure this year will not be any different. So, tighten your seatbelt and get ready for a wild ride, as I predict the coming year's crazy internet happenings. Here’s what's coming at you.

Six Clear Reasons Why You Should be Using Social Media to Build Your Credibility

By Hector Cisneros

An ad agency client asked me the other day to provide them the primary reason why their clients should use Social Media as part of their advertising mix. Specifically they were talking about Facebook, Twitter and Angieslist. The answer to this question is often confusing and misstated. This article provides six concise reasons why Social Media is so important today.  Reading this article will make it easy for the reader to see why Social Media has risen so quickly in advertising circles and it will help them prosper from using it.  Here are a few reasons why they should use Social Media as part of their marketing mix. 

Is Social Media Losing its Usefulness to Business or has It Just Evolved

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By Hector Cisneros

Organic Social Media effectiveness for producing leads seems to have peaked just before the last presidential election. During the run-up to that election, we saw skewed search results, increases in filtered newsfeed posts and many changes to the timeline algorithm. Then after the election, we discovered the massive sale of private account profile data, the sales of advertising to Russian groups looking to influence the election and a what seems to be a runaway Frankenstein algorithm that affects ad placement and the news timelines. If you add to this all the filtering that Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn have added to their user controls, you can begin to see why business social posts are not showing up anymore. In this episode, of Working the Web to Win, we will delve into these and other changes that have taken place and explore what effect this is having on a business’s ability to use social media as a means for marketing products and services.  So, whether you're using social media or not, this is a discussion you don’t want to miss because the long-term implications will have lasting effects right now and far into the future. So, put aside your posting schedule and get ready to decipher these changes as we explore the continuous evolution of social media for business.

15 Ways Social Media Can Build Your Business and Credibility

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By Hector Cisneros 

Social Networks are the fastest evolving media in the world. In less than a dozen years, it has gone from relative obscurity to internet dominance. Today, any business that ignores social media does so at its own peril.  Social networking and Social media have become integral to internet marketing, business and social communications. Most importantly, it has changed the dynamic of what advertisers can say, do and get away with. No longer can businesses get away with touting poor products as the latest and greatest. Businesses can’t continue to provide poor customer service and expect to keep it under wraps. Today social networks allow consumers to spread good or bad news at the speed of the internet. Businesses have to be proactive using social networks to stay ahead of the competition and any bad news that may escape into the social “network-sphere”. This article will provide 15 reasons why every business needs to proactively be using social media to win the hearts and minds of the consuming public. They will be listed in descending order of importance (as chosen by me) to help you see the big picture. So let the countdown begin.