You need a couple things,

1. A website or blog that you own
2. A Google Plus Account
3. An About Me page on your blog. If you already have an about page where information about author is given then you need not worry. However if you don’t have an about page then you must create one now.

If you have met the above three conditions then you may follow these steps:

On your website sidebar, header or footer add a link with the below code

<a href=”https://plus.google.com/GOOGLE+ ID”
rel=”author” target=”_blank”> Join me on Google+</a>

Important: Do not remove rel=”author” else the trick wont work!

Replace GOOGLE+ ID with your Google profile link id. You can get your Google Plus ID by going to your Google Plus profile page and then copy the digital code from your browser address bar see example below:

Example: https://plus.google.com/u/0/111174641965141679171/posts
The Google+ ID is: 111174641965141679171

Next go to your About Me page and add this link anywhere you want,

<a href=”https://plus.google.com/GOOGLE+ ID”
rel=”me” target=”_blank”> My Google+ Profile</a>

Again replace the Google+ ID with your Profile ID. You can edit the text My Google+ Profile if you wish.

Now go to your google plus profile and click the “Edit Profile” button and add your Blog/site URL and also the URL of your About me page in the “Contributor to” links section. You can also add other links in the other profiles section is you wish to do so.

1. Go to http://profiles.google.com/me/plusones
2. Click Edit Profile
3. Check the Show this tab on my profile check box

Next upload a Profile Picture of your self if you don’t already have one, preferably 150px by 150px in size.

Now save your profile and preview how your image will appear. Click here and type your homepage link in the search box and hit preview, if you have followed all steps correctly then you will be able to clearly see your photo and name appearing next to your site title and description. You will also see a green message: “Verified: Authorship markup is correct for this page“

WORDPRESS USERS

Depending on the template you use, some templates may link to the authors posts below each post title, you need to change this link to go to your “about me page” instead, because wordpress uses the rel=”author”tag and google bot may get confused and it won’t display your picture next to search results.

To do this you will need to consult your template files and change the tag <?php the_author_posts_link(); ?> to <a href=”YOUR ABOUT ME URL” title=YOUR NAME” >YOUR NAME</a>

However this does not apply to everyone, it will all depend on the template you are using. Let me know if you have any issues, i’ll be more than happy to assist you.

What is a web 2.0 site? A web 2.0 site is a website considered to be build dynamically, it’s a website where users can interact socially by posting comments, links, do reviews, chat and other social activities. Building back links from web 2.0 sites can help your website earn search engine ranking, so start building links from these sites in to yours now! trust me it’s worth it.

PR 9 Web 2.0 Sites

http://wordpress.com/

http://twitter.com/

PR 8 Web 2.0 Sites

http://www.typepad.com/

http://www.weebly.com/

http://www.blogger.com/

http://www.livejournal.com/

http://www.tumblr.com/

http://www.squidoo.com

http://www.webs.com/

PR 7 Web 2.0 Sites

http://my.opera.com/

http://www.multiply.com/

http://www.viviti.com/

http://www.xanga.com/

http://www.yola.com/

http://www.blogsome.com/

http://www.edublogs.org/

http://www.jimdo.com/

http://knol.google.com/k

PR 6 Web 2.0 Sites

http://www.blogspirit.com/

http://www.opendiary.com/

http://www.blogdrive.com/

http://www.tblog.com/

http://www.weblogs.us/

http://www.blog.com/

http://www.blog.co.uk/

http://www.diaryland.com/

http://www.hubpages.com

http://www.bigadda.com/

PR 5 Web 2.0 Sites

http://www.20six.co.uk/

http://www.terapad.com/

http://www.typolis.net/

http://www.zoomblog.com/

http://www.nireblog.com/

http://business.blinkweb.com/

http://www.insanejournal.com/

http://www.blurty.com/

http://www.free-conversant.com/

http://www.sosblog.com/

http://www.upsaid.com/

PR 4 Web 2.0 Sites

http://www.wordcountjournal.com/

http://www.yousaytoo.com/

http://www.netcipia.com/

http://www.blogeasy.com/

http://www.journalfen.net/

http://www.memebot.com/

http://www.blogabond.com/

http://www.blog.ca/

http://www.blogstream.com

http://www.blogwebsites.net/

http://www.blogigo.com

http://www.blogstudio.com

Hope you like my article and feel free to comment or ask me any question, I’ll be more than happy to answer.

Most business owners usually just bomb their followers and friends with special deals, discounts or sort of advertising and it’s usually annoying for the user to only see advertisements, I’m not telling you not to do it I’m just suggesting to change the way to do it.

Really engage and create a relationship with your prospect/customer/friend or follower depending what the case is.

It’s better to make the customer feel that it’s a real person behind that post than to just seem like a computer robot posting ads in to your feed, take a look at the two examples below.

Example post 1

Custom Facebook fan pages for less than $1 a day at   http://www.andreeandassociates.com

Example post 2

I got so tired today building a custom Facebook fan page for a customer but we managed to get it out cause it was urgent.

How was your day?

By the way if you’re interested in a custom fan page take a look at our website it’s less than $1 a day.

 http://www.andreeandassociates.com

In example 1 you’re just telling the customer you have a special offer, while in example 2 you’re engaging in conversation with your customer by telling them how your day went, you’re also making them answer you by asking how their day was, while still managing to tell them about your special offer and to go and visit your website if interested.

And this applies to all social networks not just Facebook or twitter, it also works for Linked in, MySpace, Hi5, MSN and pretty much everywhere! Not just in the internet but in real life too, this is basic networking, it’s little details like this that will make you perform better in social media.

Hope you like this month’s tip, If you like to read more internet marketing tips by me please keep browsing my blog.

And my answer is:

It’s really simple! You don’t need to have a super duper killer expensive website.

The fact is that the internet changes so fast that as long as you have a simple straight to the point website its better, that’s why most companies out there are building straight to the point landing pages for each of their products. So if you for example sell auto insurance be positive and redesign your website make it simple! Remember that less is better.

Basically you need to put your offer out there with a good “call to” action such as a signup button, a subscribe to my email list form, or even a free quote form. It’s that simple!

What are the must have elements for a simple landing page? This is easy!

1.- Your company logo, make it clear to the user to identify your brand/company name

2.- A phone number and email address where they can contact you if possible 24/7, remember that the internet never sleeps.

3.- An image/banner describing your wonderful offer and starting price and why they need to buy from you.

4.- Your call to action: A subscription to your newsletter, a quote form or buy now link, or a signup form, the goal is to get their contact information so you can follow the lead and close the sale.

5.- More detailed information about your product encouraging the user to signup/click the button.

Remember that you need to make it impossible for the user to find a better offer! There’s no one else out there for the job better than you!

If you start researching your market you will see that a lot of companies are already doing this, so why aren’t you? You need to take the necessary steps now!

Now let me ask you a question if you were to start/create a website, what is the number one question you would have?

Please send your responses to: answers@andreeochoa.com

Google.com

Also known as web address or URLs, they are also the addresses that you see or type in your internet browsers address bar.

A domain name can be acquired by registering it with a domain name registrar such as Domain Cart.

Domain names can have different extensions or TLDs, and some of these available extensions are:  .COM, .NET, .ORG, .INFO or others available out there.

Domains are registered and renewed in an annual basis, from prices ranging from $1.99 up to $100 dollars per year depending on the type of extension you are registering, .COMs usually go for $10.99 or less, .NETs go for $9.75 and .XXX domains go for $99.99 per year.

There are also international domains owned by different countries for example .CO, .MX, .ES, .IN or .CR, these specific country TLDs are maintained by their specific countries.

Domains are usually purchased to start a website or to protect company or brand names, in other words if you own a company or brand you should register a domain such as YOURCOMPANY.COM, doing so will protect you from the possibility of  a third person registering your desired domain before you do.

You can also register domain names to build marketing campaigns for specific products or services from your company.

To register a domain name simply go to DomainCart.com and start your domain name search now before someone else does.

The web is a very exciting place with hundreds of millions of people from around the globe searching the web every day, making it the world’s biggest marketplace for businesses like yours. The question is whether they find your business’ website? Putting your business online is like having a really big grand opening and people from all over the world can drop by, shop, and buy.

A good way to get noticed online is to occupy a bit of virtual real estate with a company website which can be anything you need it to be! From a simple presentation website to an art gallery with an invitation to visit the real thing, an online store or catalog lets your (potential) customers browse through your product line and buy online, Your website can also be a resource to educate and inform.

Whether you operate a bricks and mortar store or office, having a business online is an opportunity to tell customers about your business, products and services. If done right, your sales can go through the virtual roof!

Of course, having a website is not the only way to promote your business online. Consider directories or review sites where customers research and critique products and businesses online. These sites let people share experiences and rate your products or services with others interested in buying.

You can also sell products on popular sites like Amazon or eBay. These sites are like the super warehouse stores with giant market places where you can sell some or all of your products. Best of all is it doesn’t matter whether your business is large or small. Everyone gets to have a piece of the giant pie.

Now you have a website, your products are on review sites, and you’re selling on giant market places, what else can you do? How about creating a social profile for your business and start engaging with current customers and new ones. This will give you an opportunity to really see what customers think about you, your products and your business. You can also provide exclusive social media offers to your social network contacts.

It all begins with starting a website! Especially in these times, start taking advantage of the new stages of the web and engage in the digital era. Don’t be left behind!

Hope this article was helpful. If you have a question, or need to update or setup a new website, please feel free to contact me by going to http://www.andreeandassociates.com. I’ll be more than happy to answer your questions and give you a free consultation for your online business.

Why is a domain name investment increasingly important?
A Good Domain Name Improves Marketing and Visibility

The right domain name is generally short, descriptive, and easy to remember. It gives customers and search engines an easy way to remember and find you. You can think of it as being the equivalent of a brick-and-mortar store in a desirable shopping district.

The Right Domain Builds Online and Offline Credibility

Using a premium domain for your website and your company’s email addresses helps establish credibility and professionalism, both online and offline. Selecting a memorable domain for your business, and investing in a professional website shows potential customers that you are an established, legitimate business.

Multiple & Keyword Rich Domains Provide Brand Protection

Your domain name should appropriately reflect your business name. Domains are valuable online real estate and are, therefore, in high demand.

Secure the right name early and keep it out of the hands of your competitors.

Securing more than one domain–adopting a “keyword rich” domain strategy in finding additional domains related to your business–helps protect your brand and increase your reach. For example, if your business name is Wally’s Plumbing–but your service area is centered on a few towns, you may want to purchase domains such as [town name]Plumbing.com.

Good Domains Get More Website Traffic

Some domains already receive traffic. This traffic principally comes from direct type-in or referral traffic. Direct type-in is when an internet user types the domain directly into her browser, such as typing ‘www.photography.com.’

Referral traffic typically comes from links on other websites. Good historical traffic and domain age are important to a domain’s authority, which influences SEO as search engines consider this data when compiling search results.

Domain Names Are a Solid Investment

Similar to real estate, domain names are investments. Domain values increase over time as domain authority grows. Considering that a domain is really an online storefront, it makes sense to invest in the best ”location” you can afford.

Find domain names at Domaincarts.com today!

Google +1 button, the way I’ve come to understand it is that is basically a rating function for google, although the Google explains it is that it will be a way for your friends to recommend a website to you. Now I’m not saying it will affect search results, but it will most likely affect a user’s decision on were and were not to go when they see the +1 button on search results. YES! The +1 button will be displayed on Google search results so you better hurry and implement the +1 button in to your website if you don’t want to be left behind. Like I said before Google has not announced that it will affect search results, but I’m pretty sure that it will affect users decision of whether to click or not click your link and go to your website. Why? well it’s because each time a users see’s the +1 button in a search result, the user will automatically identify it and know that the website has been recommended, so the user will most likely click on a URL that has a recommendation again clicking on a URL that doesn’t.

How to integrate in to your website?
To integrate Google +1 in to WordPress if you have a WordPress enabled site only, simply login to your WordPress administrator control panel, after login go to your plugins section, click on the add new button next to the title and in the search box that appears around the middle of the site type “google +1” and click search plugins, you’ll most likely get a couple different results, I would recommend you install the one called “Google +1 Button” it’s very easy to use and it’s actually the one I have installed in my blog.

If you have a Joomla enabled website or an HTML based site then I would suggest you contact your webmaster or go to http://www.andreeandassociates.com for a FREE quote. It’s a pretty simple and very rapid process to do, and it’s also a pretty low cost mod to do, with a possible huge return on investment.