The first day of the year is a great time to reflect upon the past and plan for the future.
Cory on the “Internet Wonders” blog writes…
If we had only known that niche marketing would become so infectiously popular, then we would have concentrated on this approach rather than waste time with MLM. If only we had known that Google was going to shift algorithms and AdWords would establish new rules, we could have…
Cory’s right to admonish the reader (as well as himself) to stop right there.
It’s hard to predict what the , though many try to do just that. Usually, good predictions are remembered while the bad just seem to fade away!
Ten years ago, things were quite different on the web than they are today. Web sites were almost universally coded in HTML. Connections were slow…. interactivity was minimal… and if you wanted to watch a video, you’d click on a link to download it to your PC and then go to bed. If you were lucky, when you woke up 8 hours later, the download MIGHT be finished.
Today, the internet is filled with web sites trying to find favor with the Google gods. For those who weren’t on the web a decade ago, the masses used to dance, sing and sway trying to find favor with deities of the day named Yahoo, Alta Vista and Lycos.
From Hyperpeople: Mob Rules: Chaos
“The world has changed. The world is changing. The world will change a whole lot more.”
One thing of which I’m certain is that ten years from now, things will be a lot different than they are now. We’ll look back at 2007 and say, “Who knew?” Will it be some current upstart dethroning Google? Will it be the implosion of “social networking”?
I can’t predict the future and I won’t even try. All I can do is share what has worked in the past for me and my clients is to create web sites (whether they be blogs or static sites) is to create a web presence with the VISITOR in mind. No matter who sits atop the search engine throne, the one thing all search engines have in common is seeking out the BEST content for their visitor.
As my 2008 gift, I share with you a philosophy which has served me very well over the past decade:
- Create your web presence with the search engines in mind.
- Make it easy for the search engines to include your site in their index.
- Create compelling content with your VISITOR (not the search engines) in mind.
- Promote your web presence like the search engines do NOT exist.
Here’s wishing you a year that is prosperous and full of health!
In the meantime, I have ANOTHER client who is doing everything “right” in her quest for achieving “I’ll be a guest on Oprah some day.” Her efforts are in STARK contrast to the small business owner who contacted me a couple of months ago. While my client is making a significant investment in not only money but also time in preparing her marketing materials, this wanna be Oprah guest was adamantly opposed to spending more than the tiniest portion of time AND money to achieve her goal.
The other day, I was on the phone with a client when he told me, “I get complimented all the time on how “ahead of the curve” I am with my blog, but truth be told, I’m just following you. ” Later in the conversation, we began talking about his former web developer, to which he said, “He’s just satisfied making HTML web sites. The thing is, I don’t know of anyone who has made the jump from HTML web sites to blogs like you have.”
However, Ernie was relentless (That’s what a coach is supposed to do!) and wouldn’t let me off the hook. Despite the fact that I had a perfectly good HTML web site waiting to promote my book (
I followed Andy Jenkins and Brad Fallon’s Stompernet launch. I was totally mesmerized by the “show”. Even though I didn’t buy into their system, I did end up on their email list.