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February 20, 2002 Welcome to Issue 005 of the Fortress E-Newsletter! Response has been excellent to our New Year's issue and we're seeing a lot of companies start to work on revamping their web presence. Invariably the biggest issue that comes up is the one of web 'hits', especially from search engines. Now too long ago it was fairly easy to get listed on a search engine. Simply submit your site, do some basic site touchup, and you were in. Unfortunately that is no longer the case. This sobering fact provides a lot of confusion and disapointment for many clients. However, there are ways to get good placement that generates results. This month we are focusing on ways to get placed on the engines and are featuring
information by one of our affiliate companies. Pauline Parks is the owner of SearchWerx and her unique insight
and services are helping many of our clients succeed online. If you need answers about search engines, this issue
is for you! |
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In This Issue Feature Article Search Engines Internet News Web Spotlight Just for Fun
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Search Engines Demystified
As a search engine marketer who understands what goes on behind the scenes, it's my utmost recommendation to avoid this trap. First of all, most of the sites they submit to are called FFA's or Free For Alls. You'll rarely get traffic from these because your site gets listed in one long, unorganized list of sites just like yours that no one ever uses. Also, the email you just used to sign up will most likely be sold and you'll end up with lots of junk e-mail that just won't stop. Ever see those "automatically submit your site" buttons? Don't waste your time with these. Many top search engines today will block these programs from entering their site because so many people abuse this easy-to-get-listed way. First of all, these programs jam up their servers and secondly, if you submit when you're already listed, it can actually hurt your existing listing on a prominent search engine. Thirdly, submitting alone is not enough. There are plenty of legitimate ways to build traffic to your site. Here's a few tips that will help you understand the right way to properly market your site on search engines.
- Pauline Parks SearchWerx continues to provide thorough and impressive services to our clients.
We work closely with them for site optimization and tracking and can help you come up with the best marketing package
for your site. Contact either SearchWerx or Fortress
Web Design for more information. - |
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Amazon.com Posts First-Ever Profit The company that has been held up by many as an example that eCommerce has come
of age and is working, has never before now shown any profit. On January 24, 2002, Amazon.com investors partied
down after the Internet retailer surprised doomsayers by reporting a first-ever quarterly profit. There was much to gloat about.. Quarterly sales -- which came in at $1.2 billion -- were up 15 percent from the same period last year. The numbers beat analyst's expectations. And even after making debt payments, Amazon still turned out a net profit of $5 million, or a penny a share. Other investors fired back that the game isn't over yet, pointing to Amazon's hefty $2 billion debt burden, and the fact that the retailer still expects to report a loss in its next quarter. As reflections filter in over the blockbuster earnings announcement from the Seattle company this week, many analyst and investors -- although bowled over by the latest quarterly results -- aren't raising high hopes for a repeat performance soon. "The bottom line is, they barely made it out in the black in their moneymaking quarter," wrote one Yahoo message board poster. "If we didn't live in a bubble, anyone in retail would call this disastrous." |
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Higher-Producing realtors continue to see the value in effective web marketing. As more and more people searching for homes use the internet to find listings and an agent worth dealing with, a professional web site becomes increasingly important. Dan-O wanted a crisp and clean looking site with a minimum of clutter. His previous site created by Hobbs Herder was not portraying the type of image he was looking for. Working from scratch we had a new photo shoot done of Dan and his team, and worked around a design concept that would tie in his warm personality with a professional and clean look. Each section of the site features unique lifestyle photos that reflect the content and focus of the pages. The numerous information request forms make it easy for Dan-O's clients to request their ideal listing or to find out their current home's value. These features combined with our unique 'Client's Only' web interface sets this site apart from the wide range of real estate sites you are likely to come across on the net. Building on the site layout, Dan-O is also beginning to use our eNewsletter and eStationery formats to keep in touch with his clients and tie the whole presentation together.
Visit the Dan-O Web Site
at:
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Our topic on Search Engines is important enough to prompt us to remove all other business product distractions from you this month. Instead, exercise your mind with this brain teaser:
Stuck?
View the Answer
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