Web Marketing Strategy Update

Affiliate marketing can be hard work, but there are a lot of tools out there that can make it easier. Here is a quick look at a few must-have tools for visualization, automation and tracking that will help you to save time and increase your conversion ratio.

Google Adwords Keywords Tool

The Google Adwords Keywords tool is a free keyword research tool. It’s designed for people looking to bid on Google Adwords, but you can use it to get a general idea of how competitive your chosen niche is too. There are other keyword tools out there, such as Market Samuri, but it’s hard to beat this one because it’s so comprehensive, and as long as you’re logged in to your Google account you can enjoy free, unrestricted searches.

Skimlinks

Skimlinks is a link conversion service which is incredibly easy to set up. Simply add some javascript to your page template, and skimlinks will convert relevant text on your site to affiliate links. Skimlinks operates under a 25% revenue share model, but it’s worth using simply because of the speed and convenience it offers.

Duplicator for WordPress

If you plan to run a lot of affiliate websites and you will be using WordPress for them, then this free plugin will save you a lot of time. As the name suggests, Duplicator can be used to copy your WordPress settings. This allows you to tweak one site and get it exactly how you like it, then copy those settings to every WordPress site that you set up in the future.

Even if you only run one or two sites, duplicator is still handy – you can use it as a backup tool, or when you need to move sites from one host to another.

SEO Quake

SEO Quake is a browser plugin that is available for Chrome and Firefox. This plugin combines the features of several popular browser plugins, showing you page rank, incoming link counts, social media references and bookmark counts for the page that you currently have open in your browser. It also analyses pages and offers keyword density information. You can use this to analyse the popularity of your own site or to “spy” on your competitors.

Google Analytics Content Experiments

Good affiliate marketers are constantly testing new layouts, calls to action, sales pages, and social media marketing strategies. The problem with testing so many different things is that it can be hard to tell what’s working and what’s not.

Google Analytics Content Experiments helps you to test different page designs and strategies. Define goals for each page, and run these detailed reports to get an at-a-glance overview of the performance of each page on your site. You can define what percentage of your visitors will see each page, and get up-to-the minute information about the results of your experiment. If you can tell that the experiment isn’t working out, you can stop the test with just a few mouse clicks, preventing loss of revenue and saving a lot of time compared to having to manually update links and remove pages.

B. Frisby writes for ClickSure. Find out more about them at their help centre.

Related articles

• 9 Easy Ways to Implement Affiliate Marketing Programs
• Be Careful Using AdWords for Keyword Research
• Great Advice On Becoming A Successful Affiliate Marketer

If you’re thinking about going it alone, there are plenty of sites out there to help you on your way.
At the beginning of their freelancing journey, most people sign up for several accounts on different platforms a so they can test them out and see which one works for them.

In the end, freelancers usually stick with one or two where they know they’ll get the most challenging and high paying jobs.

I’ve been a freelancer for some time so I’ve had the time to weave my way through the major freelancing sites.

Some of them did wonders for my bank account while others were so bad and low paid that they made me rethink the whole freelancing experience.

So, whether you’re just starting out or are looking for good freelancing sites to earn some extra cash, these are my favourite places online to find work as a freelancer.

1 – Elance

If you haven’t already used it, you’ve at least heard about it since it’s the largest freelance site on the web.

Elance is one of the best sites to reach big clients and land a high-paid professional project.

How it works

First, you need to sign up for an account and start creating your professional profile.

You can start off with a free, basic level subscription that includes a profile, a limit on the number of jobs you can pitch for and a minimum amount of storage space to store your work.

If you need more space or want to benefit from extra features, you can always move up to a paid subscription.

Next you can browse through the available jobs depending on what type of work you’re looking for – writing, web designing, programming, customer support, etc.

Then, you just apply for projects directly and work in the cloud-based work area provided by Elance.
Elance also handles the invoices and the payment so you don’t have to worry about not getting paid for your work.

2 – oDesk

Just like Elance, oDesk also has a lot of freelancers as well as contractors who are looking for people to work on an hourly or project basis.

While oDesk is similar to Elance, one thing is different – oDesk doesn’t charge freelancers to create a profile or contractors to post jobs.

Instead, they make money by taking a 10% cut of every payment made to the freelancer.

This is worth mentioning because there are fewer high-paid jobs on oDesk than on Elance so, if you’re planning on working with oDesk, keep this 10% fee in mind when applying for jobs.

How it works

oDesk is similar to most freelancing sites – you sign up for an account, create your profile and then start browsing through the jobs.

When you’ve found something you’re interested in, apply by sending a private message to the contractor.

Avoid using the same cover letter for all your projects, as unique pitches always work best and most contractors ask you to include a specific word in your message to avoid spam.

You can bid for up to 20 jobs per month.

However, to be able to actually land a great job, you’ll need to work on your portfolio first and maybe start off with a small project to get a 5 star client review.

Adding some stellar samples in your portfolio can also help.

Another great thing about Odesk is that you can take all kind of online skills tests like English language tests or Social Media Management tests.

This is particularly helpful for newbies who have the knowledge but little to show off in their portfolio. So, if you’re a beginner, start by taking a couple of tests to get you started.

3 – Copify

Copify is a relatively new agency for freelance writers so you may not have heard about it.

This site is quite different from the traditional freelancing sites like Elance and oDesk, where anyone can create a profile and apply for any jobs they like.

How it works

To start working on Copify, you must first go through a selection process.

You will need to submit a resume and send a few samples to prove your writing skills.

This is a great idea because once you’re an approved writer there’s no more bidding involved.

You simply claim an assignment and start working on it. You won’t need to write cover letters to the employers to win the project.

Also, the rates are higher than on the traditional freelancing sites.

4 – Guru

Guru is yet another good freelancing site to get work. There are plenty of projects for different categories from software development to website testers and banner designers.

How it works

Start by creating a profile and then browse around to see which projects you’d like to work on.
As a free member, you’re entitled to bid for 15 to 20 projects per month.

Like most of the freelancing sites on the web, you’ll have to win a bid before you actually start working on a project.

If you’re finding it difficult to get more than one project, you can also use another freelancing site at the same time to ensure a steady income every month.

5 – PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour is similar to Elance and oDesk in the sense that you can list your services and bid on available projects at the same time.

How it works

Set up a profile page and describe what you’re good at and what you can offer potential employers.

Also include your hourly rate so businesses looking for freelancers know how much you’re charging for your services. You will see plenty of jobs listed on the site so you just need to find the ones you like and bid on them.

The Importance of an Online Portfolio

But before you get on these freelancing sites, the best thing you can do for yourself and your new career is to create an online portfolio – your own professional space where you can talk about your experience and showcase your work without any restrictions.

Plus, you won’t have to pay any fees to anyone.

If you also take some time to optimise it, you might be pleasantly surprised when potential clients interested in hiring you contact you directly through your site.

It’s a good feeling not to depend on other sites to get work so if you haven’t yet created your online portfolio, start today.

Hey freelancers, what other great sites are you using to get work?

Alex Gavril is a freelancer who also contributes to the Webfusion.co.uk blog.

Related articles

• Land of the freelancers, home of the brave: How to find your next freelance gig online (digitaltrends.com)
• Freelance Worker From Muntinlupa, Philippines Wins Elance “Work Differently” Contest (sys-con.com)
• oDesk Contractor Manual (certifiedfreelance.com)
• The Dos And Don’ts of Freelancing (community.ally.com)

Positive publicity for a business provides many benefits. Customers, prospects and employees place more value on companies that continue to come up with new offerings and remain in the public eye.

A simple, well-written press release is the fastest way to share news of these developments and also brings SEO dividends in the form of valuable backlinks.

Here is a look at six of the most popular press release distribution services. Some are paid; others are free of charge. Each will help every organization boost their image and create goodwill in their market channel.

PR Newswire

PR Newswire has been offering press release distribution services since 1954. Although they are a little more expensive, clients benefit from their extensive network of media outlets. With offices on several continents, PR Newswire sends news releases to destinations in 135 countries around the world. They work with news organizations such as the Associated Press, Dow Jones and Bloomberg.
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Few days late posting the bit below on dropping Squidoo lense rankings, but it’s still worth your attention anyway.

Personally I’m having greater success at Hubpages than Squidoo. Not only is it easier and faster to use, but I get more visitors — I assume because of fewer pages and therefore less competition.

Of course if Squidoo has been targeted by Google, the same thing will happen to Hubpages in due course. You’ve probably time to make a good few bob before that though.

The lab has been investigating the recent drop in ranking for Squidoo lenses in Google’s search engine results. It appears that as of the 7th of July nearly all Squidoo lenses have dropped in ranking in the Google search engines. There is a lot of speculation in various forums at present (including Squidoo’s own SquidU forum) but the reasons are uncertain.
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