Creating a Web site that caters to the masses isn’t easy. Most of your broad-appeal sites like espn.com, cnn.com or similar monsters have the backing of major established companies willing to put down large amounts of capital to see them succeed. That can’t always be the case for someone who wants to start up a site and see it grow into a success. That’s why the key to online success is finding a niche market and giving them what they need.

The real beauty of the World Wide Web is that you have billions and billions of bytes of information dedicated to just about anything you can think of. If you look around the Internet, how many times have you thought to yourself, “wow, there’s actually someone out there that likes this stuff?” The best part is that there is still room for more!

Want to check the value of that vintage Partridge Family lunchbox that’s been sitting in your closet for a decade? No problem. Sites like www.collectorlunchboxes.com can point you in the right direction. Or maybe you just need to find out the date that Stan Musial played his last game for the St. Louis Cardinals. Yep, baseball-reference.com is there to help you out (September 29, 1963 by the way).

That’s really the key to success when starting up a new Web business. You have to ask yourself what need exists out there that you can fill. And in the ultimate example of finding a niche, there’s a whole collection of sites out there designed to just help you find a niche market!

The easiest place to find your niche is your own personal interests. In 1999, I started a Web site called rotojunkie.com. This Web site was dedicated to fantasy baseball and football. I started the site because fantasy sports was a big hobby of mine and just happened to be a huge niche market. After 10 years, the site had exploded with thousands of registered members and millions of views each month. It wasn’t rocket science.

Just find something you have an interest in, share that interest with the world and make it happen. The recipe for online success just might be that easy.

Ha ha ha, I just did a play on words. Get it? NET-working, you know the Internet? Anyone… (crickets – chirp- chirp – chirp)? Tough crowd. Anyhow, the subject of this particular blog is taking the age old practice of networking and deciphering how you can/should/better not ever do with a website to make it your networking clone. That way you can make contacts while you sleep, which is a beautiful thing.

I stole a few tips from a previous article, so like any good writer I will give this writer their due credit. However, we will take their networking tips and turn them into web related information.

#1 - Select a few key associations or organizations and participate actively. This is certainly a big one. There are good times and bad times to promote other websites. I probably wouldn’t advise posting a link to a direct competitor’s website, but if you have a valued-added way to do this then I am all for it (your price is lower, see here kind of thing). Likewise, don’t let your site become a highway of billboards 70 miles long for everything from baseball to knitting associations. I am also going to say this: DO NOT EVER DO RANDOM LINK EXCHANGES or link exchanges period for that matter. There is no real long term value and in the end if someone comes to you with this offer you are going to get the short end of the stick! The key here is to create a “network” of associations, groups or companies that are directly related to your product or service and are widely known as the experts of the field you are in (if you are not). It’s okay to send people away from your site, if you are giving them good information. I promise they will come back to you. With this handful of great websites, find out how you can cross promote each other by adding content about what they do and likewise if they can reciprocate it’s a win/win situation.

#2 - Get to events early and plan to stay late. - Hmmm… I got nothing. Good news is your website is up 24/7. What a party animal!

#3 - Greet people you’ve met in the past. If you know there is another website that you can benefit from a networking partnership with, then “ask and ye shall receive.” If not keep asking and keep “greeting”, so to speak, until you can find the magic button that is a mutually value added relationship between the two websites. Now it goes without saying there is a fine line of persistence and pestering, but if you know you can provide value then it’s just a matter of getting it to the right person and/or seeing it through your eyes. Back up your reasoning with facts, data, pictures, stats, etc and just make sure you are always conveying the value of your proposition. Likewise don’t be cliché and send a poorly written email request. Find a way to get on the phone with someone, the right someone.

#4 - Follow up on leads. Always, always, always follow up with leads from your website. There is nothing worse than someone begging you for help and just ignoring them. It is likely that 50% of your web leads will not be looking for the exact service/price you are offering. If you have a good network and are good at what you do, then you can refer this potential customer to somewhere that can better assist them. Someday that lead might be looking for your services again and can now afford your prices. If you helped them when they were nothing, I promise you they are going to use you later.

#5 - Be generous about sharing business tips, referrals and leads with non-competitors. If someone is good enough to be part of your website network then they should be good enough for you to confidently send them any potential leads (see#4). If they are not then see #1. Its basically the ole’ scratch your back you scratch mine sort of thing. Its just good business.

Well I hope this has been beneficial for you. Always remember to stay on top of your networking and your NETworking duties.

Emails can easily be ignored, probably even easier than fast forwarding though commercials while trying to catch up on your 100 hours of DVR back log. However the power of email marketing cannot be ignored if there is a perceived value in its content or purpose. Informative, beneficial, concise, simple but useful, are just a few of the adjectives that should describe what you are or should be sending out to your consumer base.

Here are a few powerful reasons what and/or why you should be effectively using an email marketing campaign.

Targetization - Yes, that is a made up word similar to George Bush’s “strategery”. But that doesn’t detract from its effectiveness. Not only can you simply target your respective customer base but you can segment your market into different demographics whether it be age, sex, interest, etc. Most quality email campaign service providers, such as Constant Contact or Campaign Monitor, allow you to create different mailing lists. Thus you can customize different campaigns to the needs of those various demographics.

Personalization - Most effective marketing strategies today given the rise of social media are about personalization. Have your email campaigns be more than a few lines of text from a do-not-reply@dontevertalktous.com address that people cannot identify with. Whether it is from your CEO, PR Manager or someone else within your company, give it personification and a direct message. This will only increase the effectiveness and likewise show that there is a person behind the curtain and not just a sterile company.

Consistency - Whether its annual (not recommended), weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc. You need to do it consistently. If its an information based email campaign, then consistency is even more important so readers can begin to look forward when they will receive your interesting piece of email magic. Sales/Ad campaigns need to be done regularly but are not quite as necessary to be on a rigid schedule.

Action - Any effective email should involve some type of action. Even if you are just providing information what is the call to action to get someone to take the next step. Depending upon your type of business this can either be subtle or very obvious.

As a final thought always remember that no one wants to be sold therefore you must always show value in what you are sending to people. Determine what your “email value” is and stick to or find ways to tweak until you see the ROI you are looking for. Always remember that it will never be perfect.

Everyone does it; if you are sick you go to a doctor. If you have a question about money you ask your financial advisor. If you want to sell your house you contact a real estate agent. What do all of these people have in common? They are all experts. They are who people turn to when they want to know more about that particular subject or field. Are you an expert? Do others in your industry turn to you for answers? How do you become an expert? The answer is in the internet, of course. Here are seven tips to use the internet on your quest to become an expert in your industry.

1. Publish content that is of interest and newsworthy.
   This is one of the biggest things you can do. Just writing about your day, how you feel and what you did last night does not help. Write about topics that affect your co-workers and topics that effect your industry.
2. Have an opinion.
   More than just writing about industry topics it is important to take a stance. A great way to get noticed is to say what you think and back it up with facts and reasons.
3. Keep up with current subjects.
   Writing about “old news” will not get you noticed. People want to read about what is happening now. An industry expert is always informed on the latest news and has an opinion worth listening to.
4. Dress the part (online, of course).
   Even if you have all of the above checked off if your blog, Twitter (wherever you are publishing information) does not look credible it will take away from what you are saying. Just think about it, even if a restaurant has the best tacos in the city, if the building and parking lot look run down and shady it will not be considered the “best place to go” or the “city’s hot spot”. It might still get visitors but they will not be what they could if the place looked nice.
5. Follow other experts.
   A good tip is to listen to what other industry experts have to say. Whether this is checking their blog frequently or following them on Twitter, find out what are they talking about.
6. Comment on blogs/articles.
   While reading what other experts are saying leave comments and thoughts. You could ask a question or present another side to the story.
7. Join social communities with groups pertaining to your industry and contribute.
   This is a great way for your name to get recognized and remembered. Connecting with others is an invaluable experience and the internet is a free, quick and easy way to do so.

A decade ago you had to publish a book or speak at a large conference to become an industry expert. With the advancement and popularity of the internet it is much easier to make a name for yourself within your industry.. Keep in mind, experts have a voice and they are not afraid to share it. What is stopping you from becoming the next expert in your field?

Targeting your audience is arguably one of the most important elements of a business. Not clearly understanding who your core audience is can often be an elementary but detrimental mistake to your company. In an article found in BusinessWeek, they simply argue the old saying, “You can’t be all things to all people.” However, all too often, people try to do just that in business. By trying to appeal to everyone you end up isolating and turning away your “core” audience.

To establish who exactly your core audience is, BusinessWeek suggests doing a quick exercise: Take a minute and jot down three types of customers your company doesn’t want. Oh, and this is important: You can’t choose people like shoplifters or “sale-hoppers” – the kind of customer that no business wants. If you find it difficult, especially in this current economy, to think about customers you don’t want, try to describe your best customer in terms of some key demographics or attitudes. Next, take that profile and turn it inside out, revealing a customer type with the exact opposite characteristic. Odds are they are the kind of customer you do not want to chase.

This same concept should be applied to your website. Everything from design to the content should specifically appeal to your target audience. If your main demographic is business men, ages 25-50, that are career minded, driven and informed citizens… a simple, strait-forward site will specifically appeal to them. This age group will want information quickly at their fingertips without having to search. However, if your target demographics are teenagers with a disposable income, who are technologically savvy… a funky, cutting-edge, bold website would be appropriate.

With this in mind, it is extremely important to consider details like font size, content, images and the use of other technology, like videos, audio, and social networking in terms of your target demographic. For example, a site targeting older adults, such as AARP will have text that is larger than normal, with a clean, probably white background. It will side with a more simplistic theme, making the hierarchy of information clear and concise. On the other side, a website like MTV whose target audience is teens, has a provocative, bold, changing background with a quickly rotating main image. One big element to consider or compare is content. AARP has much less content on the home page than MTV, and gives more information on the articles it features. These are small, but important details that can turn viewers or customers away from your website.

Another example of the importance in understanding your target audience is the difference in ESPN and E!Online. While it is probably very clear that ESPN targets males and E!Online targets females, it is important to note the differences in how content is displayed on both websites. ESPN has loads of information displayed in quick, short sentences, as men usually want the information quickly with only the main points. The visitor is hit with over 20 scores or stories in just the top of the site, where as E! Online is very image intensive; each story has a photo that enhances the story. Women tend to enjoy looking at photos, as well as reading every detail of a story.

Whether your core audience is technologically savvy men and women or children under ten years old, it is important to make sure your business, brand and website target them. Remember, by trying to appeal to everyone, you will separate the brand from your target audience.

If you or your company has their own presence on the World Wide Web, inevitably there is going to come a time when you’ve made the decision to change things up. It might be as simple as a change of colors, images or adding a shopping cart. Then again it could be as complex as completely changing the way your site looks and functions. Regardless of the project’s complexity, the biggest key to success for any Web site project is effective planning. I’m going to take a look at three important steps you can take to ensure that the project gets off on the right foot which will increase your chances of success.

The first step is to layout all the important information right up front. Many project managers will create one of two documents – a Project Charter or a Project Initiation Document (PID). Both of these documents are useful tools in the successful project manager’s arsenal but only when done correctly.

Many smaller projects simply utilize a Project Charter document. This document lays out several key elements for consideration including the:

• Project goals.
• List of deliverables.
• Scope of the project.
• Milestones and timelines.
• Project personnel involved.

Once everyone has the important elements set in stone and clearly laid out, planning the next steps of the project are much simpler.

More complex projects sometimes utilize a Project Initiation Document. The PID takes the Project Charter document a few steps further by not only identifying the basics of the project, but also laying out strategies for communication, change management and project risks.

The second step for effective planning is to hold a meeting with all the project personnel and go over your Project Charter or PID. This is a crucial step as you will need the buy-in of the entire team so they can successfully do their part in the project. This is also the time to get all the important questions out of the way up front. The goal for this meeting should be that everyone leaves with a clear understanding of what is at stake, how the project will be managed and what each of their roles will be in its successful completion.

The final step of effectively planning a successful Web project is communicating. No matter how great you’ve written your Project Charter or how great your planning meeting went, a project can become a mess if you as the project manager don’t follow up and keep things moving along smoothly. Regular team meetings, email updates, conference calls, etc. can all be used to keep the project on task and on time.

There are many other things that have to go right and have to be taken into account during the life of a project. Many will be covered here in the upcoming weeks, but starting it off on the right foot with effective planning is the best way to ensure success.

Just remember to plan, organize and communicate.

Has this email shown up in your inbox before:

“Dear yourwebsite.com,
I recently came across your website and noticed that it was difficult to find on the search engines. We’d like to offer our SEO services to you. Please reply.”

Yes, it’s obviously a spammer but not too far from what many “SEO companies” and “SEM providers” try to use to convince potential clients to go with them for their search engine marketing and optimization needs. All too often business owners and marketing execs are sold on one-size-fits-all packages or outrageously priced consulting deals. The language is way too technical and hard to understand and a lot of these so-called SEO experts deal in scare tactics and sleazy methods. It adds up to giving the industry a bad image and putting businesses at risk of being banned from the top search engines.

We take a very different approach at lifeBLUE Media in that we will first speak your language before ours. You’re probably not expecting us to be experts in your field and more likely wanting us to listen to what you’re needing and trying to accomplish. Most SEOs are trying to sell services that aren’t understood, needed, or wanted - instead of listening, educating and helping the client before presenting the ideas.

Simply put, website and search engine marketing is very new to most business people and they don’t quite understand the opportunities that exist. It can absolutely be a new revenue stream for their business that they didn’t realize was possible. A search engine marketer’s job is to learn about the business and its customers then unlock all the ways that can bring in new sales and customers – while building an important and long-term partnership.

Too many SEOs stay close to their own kind and don’t leave the comfort zone to learn about new clients and different industries. SEO and SEM conferences and seminars are filled with, you guessed it SEOs. Yet, these same SEOs should be attending Oil & Gas conventions, or financial planning seminars, or fashion tradeshows – to learn about the challenges their potential clients are facing.

Like the aforementioned spam email that might find it’s way into your inbox, so too will the “Guaranteed Top Ranking” email or package that you might be offered. Don’t bite on that bait - nothing is guaranteed in the SEO world when it comes to getting ranked in the search engines. Instead, SEO companies should guarantee customer service, transparency in what they are providing their clients and, most importantly, a value to the business or company they are working for. For mutual long-term success, it’s best that the SEO companies deliver more value than the client expects. That should be the guarantee.

Nothing dashes the hopes of a new site owner more than running stats on their new pride and joy only to find that no one seems to be visiting their site.

I’ve seen countless start-ups launch fabulous sites with tons of promise only to lose their momentum due to a lack of repeat visitors. So let’s assume you’ve created a wonderful site with a good premise. You’ve gotten the initial word out and have had plenty of first-time visitors. How, then, do you get these valued visitors to come back for more?

It boils down to one very simple premise – your site has to give a user a reason to come back to your site once, twice or dozens of times per day. It isn’t easy and sometimes can take a lot of trial and error, but here are two basic strategies for transforming your first-time visitors into diehard fans.

It starts with content. People primarily use the Internet for one basic function - getting information. You must provide that information in an easily digestible fashion. That’s part of the reason why blogs and sites like Twitter have taken off. Someone can get the content they want in a quick and usable format. Web sites are all about filling a niche. Assuming you’ve found your niche, it is up to you to identify what your users want (or better yet what they need!) to see on a regular basis. Then you’ve got to provide it.

It can be painful as it takes lots of time and commitment. But content is the fuel that feeds the beast and you can’t have a successful site with it.

Do I mean to say that every successful site has someone sitting around writing new articles 24/7? No. Well, yes in a way.

The next strategy for keeping people knocking down your digital doorway is to create an online community and let them provide your content. “User-driven content” isn’t just an Internet buzz word. It’s also a great source of free content, and it builds a sense of community that can be a very powerful driving force in getting people back to your site.

When I started RotoJunkie.com in 1999, the first and most important decision made was to include a message board on the site. After word got out that there was a new place on the ‘Net to talk about how much we hate the Yankees or how bad Texas pitching can be, people started flooding to the site. What started out as a hobby and a way to teach myself HTML became a successful Web business all because of the power of online communities. We used to joke that RotoJunkie was probably playing a role in bringing down corporate America with all the lost hours that employees spent on our site during the day!

So, the concept is simple. Give your users a reason that they have to come back to your site as often as possible. Do that, then you’ll see your traffic and your profits start to rise.