Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Google Announces AdWords Editor for Windows (and MAC)

AdWords Editor is Google's free, downloadable Adwords campaign management application.

It's simple to use:

Download your AdWords account to your computer, make your changes, then upload your revised campaigns.

Benefits and features include:

Navigate your account quickly and easily
Make bulk changes to keywords, ads, and ad groups
Work offline, then upload your changes
Copy and paste keywords, ads, ad groups, and campaigns.
Circulate proposed changes and get feedback

AdWords Editor is available for Windows or MAC operating systems.

For more information visit http://www.google.com/intl/en/adwordseditor/

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Everything (Almost) That You Need To Know About Linking

There is enough information about linking on the Internet to fill up a library.

What I've read makes me dizzy. Today I'll try to save you the vertigo, here's what you need to know:

Linking is smart online marketing and you should be actively seeking linking opportunities at all times.

But like most things on the Internet, if you don't know what you're doing you'll probably see little, if any, valuable results.

Ask friends, associates, others you have met and networked with in the industry to link to your website.

Putting links on your home page is probably a pretty silly idea - unless - you're home page copy is very strong and you give absolutely NO reason for a bride to leave your website.

Even if it is, I recommend you put links on a sub-page off your home page.

Inbound links are links that point TO your website FROM others.

Outbound links are links that point AWAY from your website.

Google, and other search engines, see both types of links at your website.

Google likes to see a lot of QUALITY inbound links to your website. Think of it as dozens, or hundreds, of "votes of confidence" for your website.

Page Rank is one way to guage what Google thinks about your website. "Google Love" is an even better way. Use both to gain an understanding of what Google thinks about your website.

It is not about the quantity of websites linking to you that matters most. It's the quality of those websites that has the most value.

Link "farms" are huge websites of links created just to manipulate search engine rankings.

Google knows this, has probably identified most of them, and may actually penalized your website for participating in such a scheme.

Yes, penalize - as in get blacklisted.

Link exchanges have some value too, but not as much as a link to your website from another - without an exchange. Google can tell the difference between an inbound (only) link, outbound (only) link, and link exchange.

When you get link exchange offers in the email throw them away. I haven't come across one in ten years that was a fair exchange of value.

Links are not only an important piece of your overall search engine optimization strategy, but they're also part of your overall traffic building strategy.

You'll find it difficult to achieve any valuable top search engine ranking without a carefully crafted link building strategy for your website.

If one of your competitors develops more inbound links than your website has, and you currently have better search engine positioning, it is likely they will be able to "bump you out" of your top ranking.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Friday, November 30, 2007

Online Security: What Is Phishing?

What is phishing?

Phishing is essentially an online con game, and phishers are just tech-savvy con artists and identity thieves. They use spam, fake Web sites, and other Internet technologies to trick people into divulging sensitive financial information. Unfortunately, the incidence of phishing fraud is growing exponentially.

In a typical phishing scam, phishers send out mass emails, which appear to come from a legitimate online vendor or financial institution. Emails usually contain an urgent message, baiting unsuspecting individuals into submitting sensitive data. Often the messages direct recipients to a fake Web site where the phisher attempts to collect information.

http://www.symantec.com/norton/library/article.jsp?aid=phishing_fraud

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Wedding Ministers and Wedding Officiants

I'm pleased to be working with Claire Goodman, from Sacred Ground Ceremonies, a wedding officiant in Charlottesville Virginia, on her new project Rev It Up.

Claire also is the founder of the Weekday Wedding Company, a network of wedding services in the Charlottesville Virginiaarea that specializes in Monday through Thursday weddings - a very cool idea!

If you are a minister, civil officiant, celebrant, Justice of the Peace, Marriage Commissioner or anyone who creates and performs wedding ceremonies you'll want to visit this website regularly.

Sign-up for the enewsletter and get a free report "Ten Things You Can Do Today to Start Booking More Weddings Immediately."

Here are the links to the website: Marketing and Business Development for Wedding Ministers and Wedding Officiants.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Low Cost Internet Marketing to Brides

There's no such thing as free lunch (TINSTAFL).

But, there are some low-cost / no-cost-but-your-time things you can do to promote your website.

Low Cost Website Promotion Ideas (free tips and Internet Marketing advice at my Book More Weddings website).


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Site Explorer at Yahoo: Webmaster Tools for Yahoo

Tip of the Week

Google offers a lot of tools for webmasters and do-it-yourselfers (DIY). Google Analytics, Google Sitemap, and lots of other goodies that will help you optimize your website so that Google falls in love with it.

Yahoo! has similar tools and Yahoo! isn't King of the Hill but they shouldn't be ignored and are worthy of being part of your overall search engine optimization/marketing strategy.

Their tools are pooled into what is called Yahoo! Site Explorer.

Like Google, you need a Yahoo! account/email address (*****@yahoo.com), which are free.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Blog Title and Page Title Showing Together Issue Resolved

Looks like I figure out the blog title before the page title issue.

I found a post that had a widget and it looks like it resolved the issue for me.

http://widget-based.blogspot.com/2006/11/changing-blogger-title-tag.html

I just can't figure out how it changed and why that form (Header Configuration) is still showing the option/configuration change and then refreshing and it disappears?


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Anchor Text Is Key Element of Search Engine Optimization Strategy for Wedding Sites

What is Anchor Text?

Anchor text is the visible hyperlinked text that you see on a web page.

If you were to click on the link (text) it would either bring you deeper into a website or lead you off the website to another website (internal link vs. external link).

In a sentence at a wedding planning website, even a blog, or a website being used for marketing to brides, the link Chicago Wedding Disc Jockey is the "anchor text" and uses the keywords/phrases that match, or are relevant, to the web page you arrive at after the click.

Anchor text that uses keywords/phrases that brides are searching for are much more valuable in search engine optimization then the company's name, A Sound Solution.

In either case, the words used in the anchor text are VERY important and play a significant role in effectively building links internal or externally as part of an overall search engine optimization strategy.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

ECommerce Trends and Americans Shopping Online

This interesting information came across my PC today and I thought it worth posting:

Did you know e-commerce accounts for $1 of every $10 spent across all retail channels in the US?

Did you know two-thirds of American Internet users shop online?

Did you know online advertising is a $21 billion business in the States?

I don't think I'm ready to spring for the full report... but it looks like the Internet and eCommerce are alive, kicking, and going to be around for a long time.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Getting Your Website Ready For The 2008 Wedding Planning Rush

It's hard to believe 2008 is less than 60 days away.

And with the average cost of a wedding now above $25,000.00... more is at stake then ever before.

With that in mind, here are some "big picture" things to be thinking about when you look at your website and ask "Are We Ready for 2008?"

1) Right Look

Does the look of your website communicate professionalism, expertise, knowledge, and that a bride came to the right website? Or does it look like something "home-grown." How does it look compared to your four biggest competitors?

2) Communicate Your Services

Does it clearly and quickly communicate your services? I mean CLEARLY. Do your images and words match? Are your graphics crisp and clean? How well does it do communicating what you do compared to your four biggest competitors?

3) Establish Credibility

Testimonials from happy customers, lots of them, is one of the most effective ways to communicate credibility. No bride wants to choose someone who looks like they just started their business last week.

4) Expertise & Leadership Position

When you establish yourself as an expert in your field, and your geographic marketplace, and you effectively communicate that at your website (#2), you'll get better results form your website and get more inquiries.

5) UVP: Unique Value Proposition

What makes you different than the last 5 websites a bride/groom just visited? Do you make that clear at the top of your website?

6) Value/Benefit

Do you clearly communicate and state your value and the benefits associated with choosing YOU (vs. a competitor). Here's another opportunity to look at your competitor's websites and capitalize on their weaknesses.

7) Showcase Your Services and Products

Testimonials, Testimonials, Testimonials !!! If you have pictures to use with them even better!

8) Optimize For Search Engines

Last, but not least, optimize your pages for search engines. Getting a top ranked position with Google is like having a money tree in your backyard (and marketing to online brides just got a whole lot easier!).


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Two Special Reports Now Available: Get Your Website Ready for 2008

As we move into the New Year and the kick-off of the 2008 wedding planning season, it's a good time to get your website ready. Two questions I get asked often this time of year are:

"How do I get better positioning for my website at Google?" and "How can I get more inquiries and get more of the brides who visit my website to make inquiries or call me?"

These two very important questions and they are answered in two special reports:

"Conversion: Turning The Brides and Grooms Who Visit Your Website Into Inquiries and Sales: Proven Strategies To Help You Get Better Results From Your Website (newly updated for 2008)" and "How To Get Your Website Top Ranked at Google: 10 Things You Need To Know (and What To Do Today)."

If you are a member of my ADVANTAGE program login and you have immediate access to these reports, and lots of additional information to help you get your website ready for 2008, free of charge. I'd encourage you to download/print them today.

Mention this post and get a free tele-consultation follow-up. Read my reports, make notes, and then let's schedule a time to talk and I'll answer your questions and/or address any concerns you have with your online marketing strategy. This is a limited offer, subject to change without notice.

How To Get Top Ranked at Google

Conversion: Turning The Brides Who Visit Your Website Into Inquiries and Sales

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/



Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Having Trouble Figuring Out How To "Blog?? Here Are Two Great Blogs...

Having trouble figuring out how to "Blog?"

Here are two great examples that should inspire you and help you get over your mental block.

http://charlottesvilleweddingsblog.blogspot.com/

http://inclusiveceremonies.blogspot.com/

Both use Google "Blogger" (which means "free").


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Friday, November 02, 2007

Google Is Watching You...


Have you ever gone to a website and next thing you know you've picked up a virus or something has changed your browser settings?
These things are called "drive-by" viruses or spyware.
It's not a good way to leave a good impression on a bride and can pretty much ruin your effort marketing to brides online.
Google is watching your website and if you have one of these at your website Google is going to tell the world.
What you need to do: Make sure your webmaster is running clean code, make sure your hosting server is secure, avoid cheap or "free" hosting services, and keep an eye on your listings at Google.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Monday, October 22, 2007


Getting Your Wedding Business Website Top Ranked At Google

10 Things You Need To Know (and What To Do Today) or You Don't Stand A Chance of Getting a Top Position at the World's Most Popular Search Engine

Introduction

Getting top ranking with Google, and staying there, is just like having a money tree in your back yard.

Web site owners that I've helped to get top ranked have cut back on other advertising and traditional marketing costs - and still achieved an increase in their sales.

More sales + less cost = more PROFIT.

Other Web site owners who once got four or five inquiries a month are now getting four or five inquiries, sometimes MORE, in a single day!

Why, you ask?

Because statistics show that 80% who start an Internet session are "looking for something" and their search begins with a search engine.

The Internet is the ultimate research tool. It is virtually free, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Old, young, business executives, artists, research scientists, doctors, lawyers, just about everyone knows the Internet is the quickest and easiest way to find information.

Google is the #1 search engine and more than 70% of all the searches performed each month are performed using Google.

We're talking BILLIONS of searches each month - just at Google.

Google is the place to be top ranked. To ignore the value of a top ranked position for your website is a mistake that your competition will be glad you made.

Here is the good news. When you optimize for Google and get top ranking with them your efforts will probably deliver similar positioning at Yahoo! and MSN.

The bad news is that there is a lot of competition for these top positions which makes it more difficult to achieve. All the more reason to know what to do.

This complete report is available for members of my ADVANTAGE program at Book More Weddings.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007


Get More Brides To Make Inquiries From Your Website

What is the difference between one person who calls me and says "We get great results from our website, sometimes we get five to six inquiries a day" and the person who calls and says "I haven't got an inquiry in weeks."

http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/public/267.cfm


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Friday, October 12, 2007


Get Better Results and Book More Weddings Using Fresh Content At Your Website

There are a lot of reasons to keep your website fresh with new content.

Three would be:

1) Search engines like to see websites that have new information and appear to actually have real people behind them that are updating the website.

2) It also leaves a positive impression with brides who visit/revisit your website.

3) It gives you an opportunity to get better search engine placement for your website and increase your online visibility by creating relevant keyword-rich content.

This complete report is available for members of my ADVANTAGE program at Book More Weddings.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Sunday, October 07, 2007


Google Shuffles SERP Layout (Search engine results page)

Today while doing some research for a client something very strange appeared on my screen, something that I haven't seen before:

Google Local Listings showing up in a different place on the search engine results page.

They showed up part way down the page!

I've never seen this before , Google shuffling different elements of the page, and it looks like Google is experimenting with where they are placing different features again (see graphic below):

(1) Sponsored Listings (top of page) - these people show up at the top of the page, in the header area, because they are top bidders using Adwords pay-per-click. If you want to show up there just bid higher and you'll knock someone down into...

(2) Sponsored Listings (right column) - more sponsored listings (advertising) for those who are not bidding as high, per-click, as someone else.

(3) The actual "organic" results or "free" listings (that everyone wants and you get using a comprehensive search engine optimization strategy).

(4) Local listings - usually just below #1, but before the organic listings. I'm haven't seen them here before.

This could have been some type of browser issue, or temporary Google-glitch, but I doubt it.

More likely, it's Google playing around with their layout and presentation and watching how it impacts what people click on and how they use Google.

Bottom line: So what does this mean to you?

It means the value of ORGANIC listings, and all that search engine optimization you've been working on, is being diluted as it becomes harder and harder to find the organic listings on a results page (I have talked about this before, when the Local Listings were first introduced).

It means putting all your effort into search engine "optimization" is a losing strategy in the long-term. The correct strategy is to combine search engine optimization, search engine marketing (PPC), link building, email marketing, and stategic advertising buys - as your traffic building stategy.

Is it still worth optimizing for Google (and other search engines)?

Absolutely.

Trust me, your (smart) competitors are optimizing for Google and as long as they are it almost forces you to play in that game.

On top of that, having a top ranked website at Google is just like having a money tree in your back yard.

If you don't know how to get your website top ranked at Google it's time to get that knowledge and information and start an aggressive search engine optimization program.

Waiting only puts you further behind. These days, it's taking six to twelve months to get a site into the top 10, if not longer - if you do everything correctly.










Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/


Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007


Success Stories: Organization Plus

The first in a series of success stories based on an effective online marketing strategy and proper execution.

Organization Plus (http://www.organizationplus.com/)

Summary: Easy-to-use website that presents a LOT of information, top organic search engine positioning (#1, top 5) for targeted keywords at Google, MSN, Yahoo!, conversion very good (visitors call, make inquiries, or subscribe to enewsletter).

Nancy Black is one of my clients who is not in the wedding industry. She is a Professional Organizer in Boston, celebrating her 25th year in business.

Search engine optimization has been an ongoing process and she's been top ranked (top 10) for that past couple years (2004-2006).

This past year (2007) she's moved into top position for almost all the keywords we're targeting.

There are 15-20 words/phrases that people primarily use to find her type of services in the Boston, and North of Boston, area.

What I've learned: It takes time to break into the top 5, keywords in your copy are critical, the right keywords and keyword phrases in the right places are important, keeping a website fresh with content is also very important, and patience.

I've also learned that a top position for keywords and phrases people are searching for is like having a money tree in your backyard - if your website can convert qualified visitors into inquiries, phone calls, and sales.

Sadly, most don't.

Nancy also runs Google Adwords and budgets a nominal amount each month for very targeted keywords.

She already has "organic" placement for these keywords/phrases, but the site converts visitors into inquiries or newsletter subscriptions so well, it's a small investment that is well worth it.

After word-of-mouth, and Nancy is the ultimate-networker, Nancy's website probably is responsible for more than 90% of her new business.

The plan going forward: build Nancy's email newsletter subscriber base, build repeat traffic and name recognition, and focus on distinguishing herself from the competition (experience and unique value proposition: The Three Hour Transformation).














Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/






Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Monday, October 01, 2007


Keeping Your Website Fresh Has Many Benefits

Keeping your website fresh with new content has many benefits.

It can GREATLY improve your organic search engine positioning.

It's part of creating more online visibility and making it easier for brides to find your website among thousands of others.

And when your website looks better than the last three a bride visited, you'll be more likely to get an inquiry or phone call.

But who has time to write all this great content?

Here's a solution that will help you in your efforts marketing to brides.



Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Saturday, September 29, 2007


Your 2008 Online Marketing Plan

Q: What should I be doing online? I'm getting lousy results, just keep throwing money into this, and I'm not really happy.

A: You don't have a plan. You don't have an online strategy for marketing to brides. Funny thing is, that worked a while back. Now it doesn't and in 2008 if you don't have a good plan you'll be losing ground to your competition, I guarantee it.

Here's the formula:

1) Build A Great Website

You don't need a website that "looks good," you need a website that generates inquiries. You also need a website that search engines, and then brides, can find! And then, when they do find it, they make inquiries (see Conversion, below).

2) Market and Promote It Effectively

If you build it, don't count on them coming - if you don't market and promote your website. You wouldn't open a store downtown and then not advertise and market it, would you? Same holds true online.

3) Traffic Building

You'll need a solid traffic building strategy that includes developing inbound links, search engine optimization, search engine marketing (pay-per-click), and integration of your offline marketing with your online marketing.

4) Conversion

It's all about conversion -turning the brides who visit your website into inquiries, phone calls, and sales. You can have all the qualified traffic in the world, but if your site doesn't convert it you have nothing.

5) Stay Ahead of Your Competition

Catching up is always harder. Staying ahead has many benefits and will keep you in the game for a long time.




Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Thursday, September 27, 2007


Switching To Google GMAIL

Here are the problems:

1) MS-Outlook is terribly slow and virtually stops me in my tracks when I'm using my computer and it goes out to the server to check email. It has crashed three times on me this year in part because of either MS-Outlook, Norton Anti-Virus, spam filtering, or who-knows-what.

2) 99% of the email I get is junk email. I definitely need a spam-filtering solution.

3) Cloudmark, the filtering software I am using (was using) was causing performance problems. Too bad, because it actually did a pretty good job at one time. It also costs $40/year and for $40/year it has to work flawlessly or pretty close.

4) I access my email remotely 90% of the time and need a stable platform that works that way. My basic web-interface doesn't do the trick (folders, filtering, etc.).

5) I need a better way of tracking ongoing "conversations" I'm having with people. Digging through email to find the last email I sent them (that they didn't read) is a time-waster.

6) I find myself using my phone (Treo) to get and respond to email when I'm out of the office. It's really nice not to be tied to my office and in today's world there is no need to be. But email on smart phones isn't very pretty - in most cases.

The solution, I think, well, at least 24 hours into this, is Google's GMAIL.COM.

I'm using it as my primary "bucket" that collects all my email, email from four different accounts, and it's working very well. VERY well.

If you have any of the problems above, you'll find GMAIL a likely solution.

And you don't have to change your email address (yourname@yourdomain.com) !!

And it integrates into my Google Calendar, which notifies me via phone of appointments!!

And the storage limit is WAY WAY up there, I don't think I'll hit it and I get tons of email. So the average person isn't going to ever hit it. There are upgrade options that seem quite reasonable, if I reach that point.

Imagine never having to delete another email (you "archive" it)?

That's pretty cool.

No more paying for SPAM filtering software (OMG).

Easy, remote access to my email.

No more missed appointments and phone calls.

A more effective way to store and track email?

One account with access to my EMAIL, this blog, Google Analytics, Adsense (PPC), Google Alerts, my calendar (available to me anywhere in the world now), my Google Groups (WIGG - Wedding Industry Google Group), email-to-smartphone connectivity, document storage and sharing, valuable productivity tools and a customized homepage at http://www.google.com/ig/

Could this be Heaven?

Here are the "downsides," if you want to call them that:

1) Google has your email... if you're concerned about privacy and don't trust anyone, or Google, this might not work for you.

Frankly, I'd rather put my egg's in Google's basket than Microsoft. I think Microsoft is on the verge of a meltdown and Outlook 7.0 looks like another MS-Disaster.

2) You can only gather email from 5 email accounts. That's probably not a problem for most people.

3) It probably doesn't work with email accounts at HOTMAIL, YAHOO!, or AOL.COM. It should work fine with your myname@mydomain.com account - which is how I'm using it.

4) It took me about 3 hours to go through all the documentation and figure out how to set it up right. Time well spent, if you ask me, 24 hours into this...

5) The way Google has created and manages email is VERY different, but smart. The interface is a bit different but after about 30 minutes I really got to like it. Once I figured it out, it actually was very different than how I used to think about email - but a much smarter, organized approach.

It's not really a "downside," but the difference is a "change" and you know how we all don't like "change."

Using GMAIL will force you to look at your email a different way: labeling, archiving, finding email...

For me, it's working and my hat is off to the folks at Google for making me think differently and allowing me to be more productive using GMAIL.COM. http://www.gmail.com



Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007


Marketing To Brides Online: Food For Thought

Part of an effective online marketing strategy to reach local brides and grooms includes a mix of search engine optimization and pay-per-click "search engine marketing."

OK, so you're working on search engine optimization. By now you've figured out it's VERY competitive, it takes time, it's not an EXACT science, there is no magic bullet, but if you do everything right, you'll find yourself moving up - maybe into a top position.

But what do you do while that is all happening?

Again, the answer is search engine marketing or pay-per-click advertising.

Here is something to consider:

1) While you're optimizing your website for better rank for the keywords you are targeting, start a pay-per-click campaign.

2) Create a one-page, long-page, with just about everything someone needs to learn about your business and MAKE A DECISION to move forward. Put a compelling call-to-action on it.

Make sure it is keyword rich so your "quality score" allows you to bid lower per-click. If you don't know what quality score is you should have someone else managing yoru PPC program.

This page has NO LINKS to your "regular" site. It has no links anywhere. Technically, it is called a "prison page" because a visitor can't get out.

Make sure there is an inquiry form at the bottom of the page.

Make sure your phone number is at the top and bottom (and in the page copy).

Make sure you use a few testimonials.

3) This is going to be your "landing page" with your PPC campaign.

This is the page people go to when the click on your link. You will NOT take them to your regular website home page.

4) Drive 1000 visitors or "clicks" to this page. If you don't get at least 50 inquiries something is wrong with your page, marketing copy, or SOMETHING.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Thursday, September 20, 2007


10 Reasons To Fire Your Webmaster

Here are 10 reasons you might want to start looking for a new webmaster:

1) They think return-on-investment is a new rock band.

2) They think they can get your all-Flash website top ranked at Google.

3) They think meta-tags are all it takes to get top ranked.

4) They tell you pay-per-click doesn't work and is a waste of money.

5) They think "conversion" is when you change from one religion to another.

6) They think it's good to have the number one position search engine position at Google, Yahoo! and MSN for "fun bands in Atlanta."

7) They have a full-time job at Home Depot.

8) They talk about "hits" never about "visitor sessions."

9) Because... they don't know the difference!

10) They think "submitting your website to the search engines" actually does something.

Unless your business is a hobby, you can't afford to make mistakes with your website and online marketing.

Marketing to brides online has jumped to a new level. You either have an expert team behind you and guiding you, or you're probably falling behind your competition.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007


Power Tip: Getting More Online Visibility at Search Engines

Power Tip

Marketing to brides is very competitive. 2008 will get worse. Get more online visibility for your website at search engines and beat your competition by combining this strategy.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.


Are You Getting Dizzy (and Losing Sales To Your Competitors)?

I don't know about you but I can barely keep up on everything that's happening on the Internet.

I mean, how am I supposed to be "the expert" and guide my clients through this maze when it changes almost overnight?

Because it does !!!

I feel for the folks I talk with. On top of all this "Internet stuff" they have to run a business, meet deadlines, meet with brides, process orders, pay dozens of bills, keep the inquiries coming in, show up at the Chamber of Commerce breakfast... WOW, there's always something to do.

And then there's that Internet stuff:

Should you be on MySpace, or is it too late?

What about FaceBook?

How's your current search engine positioning?

How'd you make out in the last "shuffle" at Google?

Are you paying too much for pay-per-click?

Keywords? Keyword selection and keyword density? What they heck is that?

And why should you care?

Why do you have "hits" but you're not getting many inquiries?

Sure, you're top ranked at Google - for a term no one is searching for!

If you have questions or frustrations like this, or you think that maybe you're not getting as big of a piece of the pie as you'd like (you KNOW the brides are online!), then take a moment to look at my ADVANTAGE program.

Paul Foreman at Captivating Images joined last week. We're re-working his website after he got some bad advice about six months ago that cost him previously good search engine positioning.

He told me this morning his investment probably has already paid for itself as a result of our initial phone consultation (which I do with all new members).

My ADVANTAGE program is like hiring an expert coach and your investment is only $240.00/year.

Take a look and see what it can do for you.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.


The Right Tools Always Makes The Job Easier

I'm not mechanically inclined although at one point in my life I thought I could be.

What I did learn (other than NEVER again take apart a J28D jet engine and try to put it back together) was that the RIGHT TOOLS make all the difference.

"Hey, why do I have these three parts left over?"

When it comes to marketing to brides online having the right tools will make your life easier, help you get better results (faster), and stay ahead of your competition.

Today I'm going to pass on a new site I'm using to find the tools I need, and you'll need, to compete online.

It's called the Search Directory and it's published by SearchNewz.

Here you'll find links to just about everything "search" related. You'll find valuable tools, online resources, and information.

Take a look and bookmark this valuable site. I'm sure you'll find it quite helpful.

http://directory.searchnewz.com

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Saturday, September 15, 2007


Marketing to Brides: You Can't Get Top Ranked Without Understanding Keyword Density

An acquaintance and I were talking the other day and comparing notes about search engine optimization.

Scott Channell is a sales coach and uses his website, FINDINGBUSINESS.COM for sales coaching, helping sales people to set more sales appointments, and generate leads and sales appointments.

After a rant about how much bad information there is on the Internet, and how the so-called "gurus" are really scraping the bottom of the barrel these days to come up with new material... but I digress...

The topic of keyword density came up and it's good to touch on here today.

Because... without the right keywords and keyword phrases on your pages you don't have a chance of getting top ranked for those words.

First, you have to have them there for search engine spiders to see and read.

Secondly, they have to be in the right combination, surrounded by the appropriate words, and appear an appropriate number of times per 100 words.

Third, sub-consciously these words people are reading on your pages match what they were searching on, so a little voice in their head says "hey, you found the right website!"

And that will help your conversion (turning more of the brides who visit your website into inquiries and sales).

Keywords and keyword phrases - you've got to have them.

The number of times they appear on a page, per 100 words of text, is your keyword density.

This is tricky stuff and why webmasters should not be writing your website copy. It's probably a good idea to have a professional MarCom writer (Marketing Communications) do your copy. It will be an investment that has long term dividends.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007


Smarty Pants: Take The SEO Quiz

Here's a fun little exercise that will give you a fairly good idea of how well you understand search engine optimization.

80-100 - Very good chance at a top ten position
40-80 - Good, you might get yourself in the top 50
0-40 - You're not even on the playing field

http://www.seomoz.org/seo-expert-quiz/take


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.


JCPenny and David's Bridal Partnership

Hot off the press (BUSINESSWIRE)... marketing to brides... open for discussion over at WIGG (Wedding Industry Google Group) http://groups.google.com/group/Wedding-Industry

JCPenney Joins David’s Bridal as Exclusive Wedding Registry Partner
Retailers Partner to Provide Customers One-Stop Shopping for Wedding Needs

PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE:JCP) and David’s Bridal today announced an exclusive retail partnership to serve the soon-to-be-married crowd. The partnership between JCPenney, which offers one of the nation’s leading wedding registries in-store and via jcp.com – the largest general merchandise site on the Internet – and David’s Bridal, the nation’s foremost bridal authority with more than 278 stores nationwide, will provide customers with a one-stop destination for nearly all their wedding needs.

“At JCPenney, our objective is to make an emotional connection with our customers, and weddings are certainly emotional. Our success with brides is attributed, we believe, to the registry experience we offer. It goes well beyond products to include expert advice, helpful tools and valuable services that help to support the wedding planning process,” said Mike Boylson, chief marketing officer for JCPenney. “With nearly one in three brides in the U.S. walking down the aisle wearing a David’s Bridal wedding gown, JCPenney’s partnership with the nation’s largest bridal retailer will allow us to broaden our reach and connect with more registry customers than ever before.”

About the Partnership:

As part of the partnership, all of David’s Bridal’s registered brides will be invited, via e-mail, direct mail or by David’s Bridal consultants, to create a gift registry at JCPenney. Along with links to JCPenney’s online wedding registry on davidsbridal.com, all David’s Bridal stores will carry JCPenney’s wedding registry brochure, highlighting the Company’s array of wedding registry items and services. The partnership will also include a variety of joint marketing initiatives such as bridal shows, in-store events and contests, as well as special customer discounts and offers.

“David’s Bridal’s partnership with JCPenney represents an ongoing strategy to add value to our customer’s shopping experience both in-store and on-line,” stated Bob Huth, President and CEO of David’s Bridal. “By partnering with best in brand companies that are leaders within their respective industries, such as JCPenney, David’s Bridal has the ability to deliver an exceptional gift registry experience and provide one-stop shopping throughout the wedding event and beyond.”

About JCPenney’s wedding registry:

JCPenney offers one of the nation’s largest wedding registries, boasting an expansive collection of proprietary and national brands with timeless style, exceptional quality and contemporary appeal. Registrants can make gift list selections from top brands in china, flatware, crystal, small electronics, cookware, linen and furniture. With more than a 1,000 JCPenney department stores as well as www.jcp.com offering a wide assortment from which to choose, brides and grooms will find everything they need to live “Happily Ever After.”

Registry customers find that JCPenney is a one-stop destination for nearly all their wedding needs – from engagement rings and couple portraits, to salon services including hair, make-up and nails, and luggage for the honeymoon. Along with a selection of merchandise offering style and quality at a smart price, registry customers are treated to expert wedding and homemaking advice on jcp.com; a complimentary wedding planner and organizer that becomes a treasured keepsake; and in-store services such as salon and portrait studio.

About David’s Bridal

David’s Bridal, the only national bridal retailer, offers an extensive assortment of affordable and luxurious wedding gowns, bridal party attire and accessories, which enable the bride to outfit everyone in the wedding party, and are available to try on and take home the same day. Boasting endless personalization options, David’s Bridal ensures every woman can express her unique personality with an unparalleled selection of apparel, accessories, invitations and gifts, all of which can be color coordinated according to the bride’s preference. David’s caters to busy brides with the convenience of one-stop shopping, offering head-to-toe dressing, on-site alterations, gown preservation services, an online gift and invitation storefront and exclusive vendor partnerships, to make the wedding planning process both easy and enjoyable.

About JCPenney

JCPenney is one of America’s leading retailers, operating 1,048 department stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as one of the largest apparel and home furnishing sites on the Internet, www.jcp.com, and the nation’s largest general merchandise catalog business. Through these integrated channels, JCPenney offers a wide array of national, private and exclusive brands which reflect the Company’s commitment to providing customers with style and quality at a smart price. Traded as “JCP” on the New York Stock Exchange, the Company posted revenue of $19.9 billion in 2006 and is executing its strategic plan to be the growth leader in the retail industry. Key to this strategy is JCPenney’s “Every Day Matters” brand positioning, intended to generate deeper, more emotionally driven relationships with customers by fully engaging the Company’s 155,000 associates to offer encouragement, provide ideas and inspire customers every time they shop with JCPenney.

About David’s Bridal

With more than 50 years of bridal experience, David's Bridal understands the importance of providing brides-to-be with a vast selection of exquisitely crafted dresses, available at affordable prices. Today, with more than 278 locations nationwide, David's Bridal continues to expand its retail store locations, while maintaining its philosophy of superior quality, value and service. To locate a store nearby, consumers can call 1-877-693-BRIDE or visit www.davidsbridal.com.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007


Valuable Tool - Color Cop

I thought I'd pass on a really great tool I found online.

Have you ever wanted to match a color or know the color's hex code when working with graphics? Here's an easy-to-use, free tool. to help you do just that.

http://www.colorcop.net

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007


Links and Linking: 10 Things You Should Be Doing

Link building is a critical component of any online marketing strategy. While everyone seems to have an opinion, I've found that most are either wrong or vague. Here's my latest advice on linking and link strategies.

http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/members/290.cfm


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Thursday, August 30, 2007


Double Your Sales Next Month (This Works)

Want to double your sales next month (from this month)?

I'm talking about new sales.

You'll very likely pick up some end of the year business.

If you're a wedding band it's a great way to pick up holiday business and corporate party business.

Here's a great technique taught to real estate agents and it works for just about anyone. Better still, it costs almost nothing.

When you're in the competitive space of marketing to brides, don't just throw money into a blow torch. Do things that really work - and this is one of them.

Double Your Sales Next Month


New Report: "25 Point Internet Marketing Checklist" Free For ADVANTAGE Subscribers

25 Point Internet Marketing Checklist

There are hundreds of issues related to managing your online marketing. Here 25 things you can easily review that will keep you out of trouble and critical to a successful online marketing strategy.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings


Why Is My Website Top Ranked at Yahoo! and MSN But Not With Google?

Q: Why Is My Website Top Ranked at Yahoo! and MSN But Not With Google?

It's one of the most frustrating things I know of and here's why it happens and what you should be doing.

Questions, concerns, need help with your online marketing or website? Visit this link.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Sunday, August 26, 2007


Think You'll Make Big Money Selling Wedding Accessories and Invitations Online?

If you're thinking of jumping into the pool with the hundreds, if not thousands, of online wedding accessories and invitation websites reselling, drop-shipping, or offering affiliate marketing (i.e. Carlson Craft, Kate Aspen, etc.), you might want to first put on your life jacket and read this interesting, valuable, and controversial insight from Greg Howlett (be sure to read the follow-up posts... and pass the Kool-aid).

Six Reasons Not To Try To Be An Online Retailer

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings

http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Friday, August 24, 2007


Bad News For Banner Advertising

It looks like more bad news for the 'ol "banner ad" that was so popular back in the early days of the Internet.

A recent study by usability guru Jacob Nielson says it all... hmm... shows it all.

And think twice about an annoying ad (or website for that matter!).

In a study, commissioned by Streetblimps and conducted by Opinion Research Corp, "Nearly nine in 10 Americans said they were less likely to buy products that had annoying or offensive ads. Seven in 10 also said they were more likely to remember the ads."


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings

http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Thursday, August 23, 2007


Conversion: Where The Rubber Hits The Road

Conversion is that magic moment when a bride who finds your website fills in your inquiry form or picks up the phone and calls you. With almost 70% of the country connecting via broadband (cable or DSL), it's not unlikely that a bride will just pick up the phone while viewing your website.

But conversion is a problem at most websites. You can tell quickly if you have a conversion problem if you have lots of traffic but no inquiries.

Poor quality traffic has an impact on conversion.

Poor design probably is a bigger factor.

Most designers have no clue when it comes to conversion.

80% of the people reading this today haven't heard the word before.

Ouch!

If you want more inquiries and more phone calls make it easier to find your inquiry form or phone number at your website. That's basic online Marketing to Brides 101 if you ask me.

Is your phone number at the top of all your pages (that's where I look for it).

Is your inquiry form on your home page?

Will I also find it on the three most visited pages at your website, according to your Google Analytics?


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings

http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Monday, August 20, 2007


Should You Be Blogging?

Heard this past week at Search Engine Strategies in San Jose:

"77% of adults think that blogs are a good way to get information about a company or product."

Rev. Claire Goodman has the right idea at her newly published blog promoting weddings in Virginia.

One word for Claire: PERFECT !!!

From my just published report: "25 Point Internet Marketing Checklist"

#21. Blogging

Having a Blog is smart online marketing.

While your website will be more of a “static” online brochure, blogs are basically an online diary and very effective at communicating personality, professionalism, and fresh information.

Use blogging to talk about recent customers, new employees, new products or services, associations or professional training – or just about anything else.

Blogging increases your overall online visibility and should be part of an overall search engine optimization strategy. Don’t forget to link to your website! It will help you build traffic and usually counts towards your total “inbound link” count.

Should you be blogging?

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings

Thursday, August 16, 2007


Google Analytics: Good Stuff
Cheap (Actually, Free!)

Google offers anyone with a website free website statistics and they are pretty easy to install. Although there is a ton of information, Google Analytics are easy to understand and provide very valuable information about your visitors, including:

* How many total visitors for any given timeframe
* How many unique visits
* Where these people are coming from
* What they are doing when they get there (it may not be what you think)
* How much of your traffic is coming from search engines vs. other sources
* How effective your Google Adwords (PPC) campaigns are working
* The keywords brides typed and brought them to your website!

http://www.google.com/analytics


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings

http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Monday, August 13, 2007


Wedding Bands & Live Music: Give A Girl What She Wants

I thought I'd share some notes from a post I recently read on an online bulletin board - related to wedding bands. It was from a long-time band leader who was commenting on the Internet and how it has changed the business of providing entertainment for weddings. Marketing to brides was very different than in the past, in some ways, but not in others. All agreed the competition was very tough.

When it's all said and done, he said brides want:

1) A clean cut band

2) A wide repertoire

3) An ability to engage the audience

Simple, yes?

Sometimes we forget the basics.

If you're a band leader and have a web site for your wedding band, how well does your website communicate these three things?

Add to this message your unique value proposition and your website will be a "home run."

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Sunday, August 12, 2007


Marketing To Brides: "The Formula"

Whether you are starting out or re-working your online marketing strategy, you'll want to keep in mind "The Forumla."

(1) Build a great website.

(2) Market and promote it effectively, both online and offline.

(3) Develop and execute an effective traffic building strategy.

(4) It's all about CONVERSION, not much else matters.

(5) Stay ahead of your competition, catching up is always more difficult.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com


FLASH Can Significantly Hurt Your Online Visibility

FLASH is fun, cool, and can be used to make some pretty impressive presentations.

The problem is that is can very significantly hurt your online visibility - what I call your "findability factor."

All Flash sites, websites made entirely of Flash, are the kiss-of-death (IMO).

When brides can't find you online they don't stop looking.

Oh no, they find one of your competitors.

Search engine spiders, the automated programs that continuously scan web pages, don't deal well with Flash. They can't read it and as a result they can't determine relevancy and so can't index it.

I'd say a website made entirely of Flash probably has a 20% findability factor compared to a spider-friendly, HTML crawlable website.

Let me put it another way.

800 brides who were looking for you using a search engine last month couldn't find your website!!

80%, maybe even as high as 90%, of the brides who could have booked your services probably found and booked with someone else. Ouch!

The sort-of-maybe-good news is: a Flash site, when designed properly, can convert well.

Unfortunately, that's rare, based on what I'm seeing out there.

Can you afford to live on 20% of the brides out there who are looking for you? In today's competitive environment, I think the answer is "NO."

Bottom Line: All Flash websites will hurt your overall online findability factor. They are probably impossible to get top ranked for any competitive category (I haven't found one yet!).

In order to get brides to your website you'll spend more money to advertise and promote your website vs. a competitor who has a search engine friendly, top-ranked website.

If you have an all Flash website, consider advertising at my popular Wedding Planning Links website to address this problem and make it easier for brides to find you online.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Saturday, August 11, 2007


Universal Search

Universal search is the term used to describe searching through EVERYTHING on the Internet and presenting it to the person searching. As you might expect, Google is leading the way and pushing pretty hard.

Universal search combines:

Web pages (websites)
Images
Video
News
Maps
Blogs

... and of course, sponsored listings (i.e. pay-per-click).

Universal search will impact how brides find your website.

It has the potential to dilute your basic search engine optimization strategy, dilute any current top positioning you have, and open the door for your competitors to jump ahead of you - if they take advantage of the opportunities and you fall behind.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Friday, August 10, 2007


Being Top Ten or First Page in the Search Engine Results Page (SERPS)


Being top ranked for your keywords and keyword phrases is important.

No new news there.

Less than 1/3 of the people searching at a search engine make it to the second page. I actually think it's less than that.

Source: http://seo.elliance.com/


Marketing To Brides [An Experiment]

http://www.marketingtobridesonline.com

Groomsmen Gifts from Groom Stop. Unique groomsmen gifts and great wedding gift ideas for your entire wedding party.

A wedding planning website for brides and grooms getting married in Virginia and planning a wedding in Virginia or thinking about eloping or a weekday wedding.


Thoughts for the Day: Top Search Engine Positioning


Thoughts on a foggy, overcast day in Gloucester...

Catching up is always more difficult.

Ask Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods is certainly the best golfer of my generation. He would probably tell you it's better to stay in the top three than fall behind and have to play catch-up. Once you're six or seven strokes behind it gets pretty difficult to walk away with a win.

The same applies to search engine optimization and keeping your website top ranked.

(1) It's really hard to get top search engine positioning these days. At least for any competitive keywords/keyword phrases. There are probably 40 to 50 people fighting for the top ten positions in any city/category. And your competition isn't always LOCAL. Target, JC Penny, eBay... and a host of other brands are now competing for words like: Chicago Wedding Bands

(2) It probably will take six to twelve months - if not longer - to get a website into the top ten if it's not already there.

(3) And that's if you do EVERYTHING right and...

(4) Someone who is already in the top ten FALLS OUT.

(5) It could be longer.

(6) Why would someone fall out? There are a lot of reasons:

(7) Websites that appear stale and out-of-date.

(8) Design changes (example: moving to a FLASH website).

(9) A competing site that has developed more inbound links.

If you fall out of a top position it will probably be harder to get back where you are, if you don't act fast.

The best strategy is to proactively manage your search engine optimization strategy, combine it with an effectively managed pay-per-click strategy, and stay in the game.

A few ideas:

(1) Keep your home page fresh with new content posted at least monthly.

(2) Watch your web analytics and make sure the traffic you are getting from search engines isn't slipping.

(3) Get as many inbound links as you can, but remember, it's the QUALITY of those links pointing to your website more than the quantity. Your inbound link text should also match the keyword/phrase you are targeting like: Wedding Planning Advice

(4) Stay on top of your online marketing - having the right information and keeping up on the latest trends and changes in online marketing will help you get the best results from your website, get more inquiries, and book more weddings.

For more ideas and help marketing to brides visit my Book More Weddings website at http://www.bookmoreweddings.com.

Catching up... is always more difficult.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007


Average Cost of A Wedding

My good friend Shane McMurray over at The Wedding Report has updated his research. If you're in the Wedding Industry and marketing to brides you'll find his information and research valuable.

http://www.theweddingreport.com

Highlights...

The average wedding cost for wedding is $28,800.00

Typically included in calculating the average cost of wedding?

Attendant Gifts, Boutonnieres/Corsages, Bride Accessories, Bride Bouquet, Bride/Groom Hotel, Bridesmaid Bouquets, Ceremony Accessories, Ceremony Location, Ceremony Site Decorations, Decorations/Centerpieces, Flower Girl Flowers, Gifts for Each Other, Groom Accessories, Groom Tux/Suit, Guestbook, Hair & Makeup, Headpiece/Veil, Her Ring, His Ring, Invitations & Reply Cards, Limo Rental, Officiate/Pastor or Priest, Parent Gifts, Photographer, Reception Beverages/Bartender, Reception DJ, Reception Food Service, Reception Venue/Rentals, Rehearsal Dinner, Thank You Cards, Wedding Cake & Cutting Fee, Wedding Dress, and Wedding Favors

The question is: Are you getting your piece of the (wedding) cake?

:)

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Sunday, August 05, 2007


Avoid Spamming Brides

When you take a bunch of email addresses of people (i.e. brides who attended a bridal show) who did not specifically ask to either:

(1) get email from YOU or

(2) receive information about your company

... you have just joined the world of SPAMMING.

Trust me, sending junk or unsoliciated email to brides isn't what I mean when I talk about marketing to brides.

When you get labeled or tagged as a spammer sending legitimate email starts to get a big dicey pretty fast.

Yes, it's true.

Get labeled as a spammer by your ISP or one of the major spam-busting services (Google, Spam Arrest, McAfee, Norton Anti-Virus) and you just might find your GOOD email isn't getting through to where you want it to go.

No, it's not in their INBOX, it's in their JUNK EMAIL folder - and you just lost a sale to a competitor.

All because you are doing something you shouldn't be doing... in the first place.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Thursday, August 02, 2007


A Complete Waste of Money? Yes.

Marketing To Brides
Q&A With Chris Jaeger

Q: Chris, we're paying $40/month to have our website submitted to over 1000 search engines. I'm not sure what we're getting for our investment. Our search engine positioning doesn't seem to be improving. What do you think?

A: Submitting your website monthly to search engines has little, probably no, value. You're throwing your money way. If you've got time to kill submitting your website to lots of search engines may have some value - over time. I'd focus on Google, Yahoo!, and MSN (in that order).

If you're website is "in" Google (or Yahoo!) already there's no need to keep telling them about your website. Once they've found it they should regularly crawl it. Actually, the Google folks I spoke with told me at Webmaster World in Las Vegas told me: "there's no need to resubmit your website each month..."

If you're website is NOT in the Google "index" and not showing up then the best way to "get in" is to let Google find your website through ANOTHER website.

Let me say that again, carefully, because that is HOW you get in:

Let Google find your website (link) at another website. Preferably, it's a wedding themed website, as that will have more "weight" than a link from a non-wedding themed website.

Google does have a page where you can submit your website: http://www.google.com/addurl.html but most folks I talk with seem to think it doesn't really "get you in."

The second part of your question touches the issue of better placement. Since submitting your website has no value it certainly won't help your website get better placement or top ranking. To do that you'll need a search engine optimization strategy.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

* Need more qualified traffic for your website?
* Want to make it easier for brides to find your website online?
* The solution is only a click away...

Saturday, July 28, 2007


How Do I Start Blogging

There's a lot of buzz about Blogs and Blogging. Cut through it all and a Blog is just an online diary.

I tell people to think of their website as an electronic brochure that is mostly static while a Blog is an ongoing dialog with customers or potential customers that is published to more frequently.

You may update your website a few times a month while you probably post to your Blog multiple times each month (or week, or day!).

The benefits of Blogging include:

1) It's easy to do (you don't need your webmaster to do anything for you)

2) Creates more online visibility for your company/products/services

3) Connects you to "Web 2.0" and social networking

4) Easy to create and manage

5) It's free if you use Blogger

Here are a couple links to look at for more information about Web 2.0.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsa5ZTRJQ5w

How do you start Blogging?

The easiest way is to use Blogger from Google.

Visit http://www.blogger.com and follow the directions.

I recommend you use a Google account (GMAIL.COM) to create your blog (vs. your regular email address) and consolidate all of your Google services/tools (Google Adwords, Google Analytics, Google Sitemap, GMAIL) into that account.

http://mail.google.com/mail/help/intl/en/about.html

Blogging is a smart way to expand your online visibility and to get better results from your overall online marketing to brides strategy.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Friday, July 27, 2007


"Why Are Brides Leaving My Website?"

I spoke with a Wedding Consultant yesterday who was frustrated by the poor results she was getting from her website. She had put a lot of money and effort into a new website and marketing to brides online and wasn't getting any inquiries or phone calls.

We talked about how to turn things around and there were several things she had to deal with, but here are two things we talked about:

1) A Great Looking Website Does Not Mean Great Results

Brides want information, they want what they came looking for an you don't have a lot of time to mess around before you give it to them (less than 20 seconds!).

Your "great looking" website can easily become an obstacle to an inquiry and a sale and that's why most websites don't work.

Give brides the BEST POSSIBLE EXPERIENCE and you increase your chances of turning them into customers.

2) It's All About CONVERSION

Conversion is that magic moment when a bride does something you want her to. Maybe she makes an inquiry, downloads a "take-away", or simply picks up the phone and calls you.

Everything at your website should be looked at as either a "facilitator" or "obstacle" to conversion. If it doesn't add value to the user experience, I believe it has no place at your website.

Other problems: Do you have graphics that aren't clickable, do you have confusing navigation, is your compelling offer buried too deep in your website to find?

And those are just three things that lead to poor results from your website...

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com


Website Stats (aka Analytics)

Marketing to brides, especially online, is much more sophisticated than just 12 months ago. Without regularly reviewing your web analytics, and knowing what they say, the success of any online marketing strategy is quickly and adversely impacted. And if you think you're getting good or great results from your website now, and as a result think "I don't need to look at my analytics" then... here's some news: YOU'RE WASTING A TON OF MONEY.

Most of the Wedding Professionals I speak with don't know how to get to their website stats. Yes, you read that right. Most don't know HOW to get to their website stats. "My webmaster never gave me that information" is the answer I get to "have you looked at your analytics lately?"

Usually, if they DO know how, they take one look and they get dizzy and never look again. Actually, that part I can understand.

But reviewing your website stats, or "analytics" (i.e. all the data about your website, visitors, and advertising campaigns), is very important.

Analytics tell you things like:

How many people visited your website (for any given period of time)
How they found it
How they are using it
Are they going where you want them to go
Are there pages not loading properly
Where your traffic is coming from
If Google is crawling your website regularly
How many pages are they looking at (before they leave)
If they're finding your inquiry form

.... and a lot more.

So, what do you do? The answer is easy. Either dive in or get someone to do it for you. A professional who monitors and reports your website activity on a monthly basis will give you information that is worth gold. If you pay a professional to review your stats, provide a report with recommendations, on a monthly basis, and pay them $75-$150 - you'll find it an investment that has a very good return-on-investment.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Monday, July 23, 2007


Marketing To Brides: Is Your Google Positioning Falling?

Google is probably an important part of your overall online marketing to brides strategy. If you have a top position at Google it's like having a money tree in your backyard (unless your website has problems with conversion).

If your inquiries are off noticably, or significantly, over the past three weeks there's a good chance your organic search engine positioning at Google has fallen.

Here's what you need to know: http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/members/279.cfm

Thursday, July 19, 2007


Targeting the High End Bride

Almost weekly someone asks me "How do we reach the high-end bride online?"

There's no doubt that finding and exclusively targeting the online "high-end" bride is nearly impossible - certainly difficult.

My position has always been "cast your net" wide, get as much quality and qualified traffic that you can, expect some of it to be not exactly what you want, but in the mix expect to find three or four of the high-end brides you want.

Alternative, or additionally, take a look at Wedding Salon (http://www.weddingsalon.com), a new approach to bridal shows and one that exclusively targets the high-end bride.

One way they do this is by charging brides $75.00 to get into one of their shows!

At first, when Sheenah Parker, Marketing Manager at the Wedding Salon, told me this, I sat back in my chair a bit and scratched my head.

But then, it set in - and it makes perfect sense.

* Produce a high-end bridal show that is unique, sophisticated, fun, and elegant

* Present the Best of the Best wedding vendors

* Target the locations where the high-end bride can be found (NYC, LA, Miami)

Their next show is at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, September 26th, 2007.

For more information visit http://www.weddingsalon.com or call Sheenah Parker at (212) 631-7777.

Mention my Blog (Chris Jaeger, Book More Weddings Blog) and receive a complimentary upgrade to your program.

Monday, July 16, 2007


Google and Universal Search

Everyone wants to be top ranked at Google. Being one of the top ten listings means brides can find your website and you'll get more traffic.

If your website does a good job at CONVERSION, you'll get inquiries and you'll book more weddings.

Google's "Universal" search will impact your organically top ranked website and not necessarily in a good way.

In my opinion, it dilutes organically top ranked websites.

Simply put, Universal search is the term used when Google shows more than just websites in it's search engine results pages (SERPS).

You've probably seen it recently.

Not only do you see listing for websites, but you see images, maybe even a video, almost always "sponsored" links, and also news and local maps.

Say goodbye to straight website links and descriptions and sponsored links (top of page sponsored links). Say hello to additional search results, non-traditional results, including:

Images
Video
News
Local Maps

Why should you care?

Because it will put your organically optimized web pages further down the page. In some cases it may take 8" to 10" of scrolling before they find your site.

Not good news.

How do you optimize for "Universal" search?

Stay tuned...

Saturday, July 14, 2007


Summer Computing Tips

I don't professionally do technical support anymore, but I did in days-gone-by. I actually enjoyed it and supported over 1000 desktops.

Here are a couple things I thought I'd pass on, thoughts that cross my mind related to technical support, as the summer settles in here in Gloucester, MA:

1) Heat Kills Computers

Not only does it kill computers, but it kills monitors, flash drives, hard drives, graphics cards, and especially laptops. If your computer is in a room that is above 85 degrees you have an accident waiting to happen.

What can you do? Air conditioning certainly, but think about getting a small fan just to blow air on the back of your computers/laptop. I got a small $8.00 fan that runs behind my laptop and it keeps my laptop nice and cool (and I rarely use the air-conditioner for cooling).

Too bad I didn't get it last week... before my $800 graphics card crashed!

To add insult to injury... I'm two weeks out of warranty. Ugh.

2) Dust Kills Computers

Dust kills computers because it usually clogs up the air vents in your computer housing that are required for effective cooling. Look for where the air can come into your computer and make sure dust isn't plugging up the holes. Usually, you'll find these air-holes on the sides of your computer. Remember, there is a fan in the back of most computers that effectively creates a vacuum for dust to find its way into your computer - to be sucked INTO it!

Dust can also create static electricity problems and in a worse-case scenario - a fire.

Where does all this dust come from anyway? Yikes!

3) Back-Up

Backup the most important files on your computer at least once a week. Backup your FLASH drives too. These cute little plug-in hard drives work great - but do fail.

And they do get lost. I love mine but back it up regularly.

4) Bad Weather

Lightening strikes are almost guaranteed to cause problems for any electronics they can find there way into: modems, cable modems, ethernet cards, home networks, PCs, laptops, smart phones plugged in and charging. When I see those big boomers approaching I run and disconnect everything. Call me crazy, but I haven't lost a thing yet. My neighbors have lost a computer, their Internet connection (cable modem), and a printer.

5) The seasonal change is also a good time to make sure you're anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-spam filters and software is up-to-date. Trust me, it will cost you a lot more than $200 to have a computer fixed after a virus attack or a spyware removal.

Saturday, June 30, 2007


Putting Music On Your Website

I don't know who came up with the idea of adding music to the background of a website when the home page loads, but if you're doing it I'm taking high-ground here to tell you it's a BIG MISTAKE.

First, music isn't used in marketing unless you're in the movie or music industry.

Second, the Internet is NOT TV. You can't and shouldn't "force" things on the brides who visit your website. I promise you, if you do, THEY WILL LEAVE.

OK, OK, I hear a few of you already: "But brides tell me they love my website..."

For every bride who tells you they like or love your website I'll bet 20 left without telling you anything.

5 Reasons You Should NOT Use Music

1) RESPECT

Respect thy bride/groom visitor: don't force things on them when they visit your website.

2) YOU'RE FIRED

A lot of brides planning a wedding will at work when they visit your website. "No..." you say, they wouldn't be doing that? Music is a great way to get someone fired. I'm guessing you won't get the inquiry if her boss is yelling at her for planning her wedding on company time again!

3) LOAD AND CRASH

No one wants to wait around for your music file to load. Music creates longer loading times and slow websites are the number one reason a bride will leave your website. Chances are it (your music file) will load about 2 minutes after they found your home page, BLAST on, and scare the cr*p out of her. There's a 50-50 chance you'll crash her browser too. Great first impression, hey?

4) IT'S THE INTERNET - NOT TV

Users should be in control at your website. Don't force things on people. It creates a bad first impression. You'll get better results from your website if you give people the information they came looking for FAST and let them choose the pages and features they want to use. You shouldn't do it for them.

5) NO VALUE

Music adds no value to your website experience. Absolutely NO VALUE. If you have things at your website that do NOT ADD VALUE to the user experience you are wasting your visitors time, testing their patience, and you will get fewer inquiries and lousy results from your website.

In very, very, very, very, VERY few instances can I justify using background music. Some DJs can get away with it, but that's about it.

Saturday, June 23, 2007


Secret Weapons


Everyone is trying to figure out what Google is doing.

How do you get your website top ranked?

Why isn't your website showing up but your competition is?

Is Google Page Rank something that is critically important to your online marketing?

Google never really shows you who is behind the curtain or reveals how things work EXACTLY, but if you follow some of the discussions from Google-folk you get an idea of what they're looking for and can get "sort-of" answers to some of these questions.

Here is one of the blogs that I visit regularly and a resource I think is one of the most valuable in my "toolbox" - http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/

People often ask me "how important is it to have fresh content or do updates on my home page?

Proof positive that Google is watching websites for "freshness" in this post: http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/google-improves-search-for-fresh-documents/

Thursday, June 21, 2007


Thinking...

Inquiries

It really drives me crazy, so I'm sure it drives you crazy too, to see a pile of inquiries come in one week and then few, if any, the next.

During the first four months of the year I think they should be pretty consistent.

In most major markets and in most categories, you probably should be able to pull 10 to 30 inquiries a week from your website - with a comprehensive Internet Marketing plan (including buying targeted PPC traffic). Maybe more.

But through the rest of the year, it's not unlikely to see them drop off.

It's normal, you're not alone, it's seasonal, and it's been that way for the ten years I've been in this business!

It's also a good reason to be VERY CAREFUL about using the Internet exclusively as your source of new business (i.e. integrate your online AND offline marketing to get the best results from both!).

Conversion

All the inquiries in the world are worth nothing without CONVERSION - turning the brides who visit your website into inquiries or sales.

Search Engine Optimization

Is getting TOUGH. I mean TOUGH. Getting a top position takes longer, is more involved, and especially at Google it's really frustrating.

You can do EVERYTHING right and still see little as a result.

One of the challenges at Google is that the competition is unbelievable. Keep in mind, someone has to FALL OUT of the top ten for you to get INTO the top ten.

And your website will need to be ready from A to Z with a comprehensive, managed, search engine optmization strategy. Meta-tags and a few keywords aren't going to get you much (in any competitive category or city).

Monday, June 18, 2007


Conversion Tip: Turning The Brides Who Visit Your Website Into Inquiries


BAD

You can have a website but BRIDES CAN'T FIND IT. You have a traffic problem.

WORSE (OUCH!)

You have good traffic, quality traffic (not quantity), you're even PAYING to advertise your website (http://www.weddingplanninglinks.com/), but the brides who find you aren't making inquiries. You have a CONVERSION problem.

There is no one-answer-solution to conversion problems but here's one way I used a rather simple techique to effectively turn more website visitors into inquiries. Yes, it works very well.

http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/members/278.cfm

* You must be a member of my Book More Weddings ADVANTAGE program to have full access to this information.


What is Web 2.0 and What Do You Need To Know About It

Web 2.0 is a phrase coined by a publishing/media company. It refers to the "socialization" of the Internet. It's real, it's here to stay.

Unless you live in a cave, you've heard about You Tube (http://www.youtube.com) and My Space (http://www.myspace.com) by now.

And who doesn't think Wikipedia isn't cool (http://www.wikipedia.com)?

Have you seen the Wedding Podcast Network (http://www.weddingpodcastnetwork.com)?

Don't leave out web-enabled cell phones and text messaging?

How does your website look when it's brought up on a cell phone?

Blogging, RSS feeds and news readers...

Wow...

I could write a book about it, and some have.

But what is it you need to know, as Wedding Professional, about Web 2.0 today?

1) It's real.

If the Internet was the Information Revolution then Web 2.0 might be described as people sharing information faster and more openly than ever before.

It's not about media companies being in control anymore. The USERS of the Intenet have control. When have you ever seen someone get control of something and then GIVE IT BACK. "Web 2.0" is here to stay.

Brides won't just be looking for you at your website*. They should be able to find you where they go - not where you want them to go.

* Actually, it's going to get harder and harder for brides to find your website. Both competitive issues and the socialization of the Internet will make it more difficult to find quality traffic and reach the local bride you want. You might want to make your way over to http://www.weddingplanninglinks.com.

2) It will impact your business.

If you take advantage of these shifts in technology and how people are using the Internet, especially people 18 to 35, you can acheive more online visibility for your business (search engine optimization value, overall online visibility, reaching your targeted audience).

If you don't take advantage of these things, and your competition does (and they are), you'll see your marketshare eaten away bit by bit. Maybe even chunk by chunk. Yes, it's that serious.

3) If you say "huh" when I'm talking about this you're heading for trouble.

Find someone to help you with these things and get to it fast. You're already behind if you don't have a blog, My Space site, or have videos up at You Tube.

Six to twelve months from now you'll be behind and strategically it will be much harder to catch up, if not impossible. On the Internet, it's always harder to catch up.