What is PPC Advertising?

Pay Per Click (PPC) is an online form of marketing in which advertisers only pay when their ad is clicked upon. Bids are placed on keywords which relate to your target audience and in turn affect the position of where they appear (1st place, 2nd, 3rd, 1st page, 2nd, 3rd, etc).

PPC can be extremely useful when your website is in its infancy. As it takes time for a site to appear in search engines organically, Pay Per Click advertising is an effective way of getting it on the front page in search listings.

Website marketing requires a healthy balance of both SEO and PPC advertising. SEO takes time to improve in rankings but is free. Whereas although PPC can be costly, it is an instant way of appearing on the front page of search engine results (such as Google).

When considering a PPC campaign, it is advised that you seek professional assistance. It can easily become a very expensive form of marketing which exceeds your budget. Getting a company to handle your PPC advertising can prove useful, as they will be unbiased, constantly tweaking your adverts and controlling your budgets to maximise your ROI (Return on Investment).

Website Domain Name FAQs

How do I decide on a domain name?

Try to choose a name with these characteristics:

1. Try to keep the domain name short so that your website is easy to type and remember.
2. Domain names with special characters like hyphens and underscores are harder to describe to customers over the phone. Visitors aren't as used to them either and you may inadvertently send customers to your competitors sites if they have similar names without the special characters.
3. Try to use your company name or a description of your product instead of company initials. People would instantly know what a site called "BuyCarsOnline" is about. The full title is much more descriptive than the acronym "BCO".

I typed the domain name into my browser and got an error message. Does that mean it's available?

Not necessarily. Here are some possibilities:

1. The domain name is available.
2. The owner is designing the site but hasn't uploaded it or set it up yet.
3. The owner purchased the name for future use.
4. The owner bought the name, hoping to resell it at a profit.

If a domain name does not come up with a website in a browser or a search engine, it is no guarantee of the name being available.

How can I check if a domain name is available?

Most web hosting companies and domain registrars let you check the availability of a domain name. Some web companies such as Viron Media also offer alternate versions if the name you wanted isn't available.

Offline Marketing Tips for your Website

There is a common misconception amongst many people in regards to websites that as soon as you have a website, people will start looking at it and therefore it will attract new business. This is not entirely true. A website is like anything else; for people to find it, they need to know it exists first.

There are a number of ways in which to let people know about your website, such as:

• Business Cards
• Complement Slips
• Adverts
• On Invoices, Quotes and Receipts
• Store Front
• Company Vehicles

These are just some examples. There are many creative ways in which you can get your name/brand and website out there. Take every opportunity to let people know the address of your site!