One last point is worth mentioning. Both consumer and business buyers doing online research early in the buying cycle will, ideally, learn about your brand during this process. Some of them will come back later to the search engines and search for your specific brand in order to determine where to buy. So over time, your presence on generic search terms will increase the number of searches run on brand search terms. Your search marketing campaign will, in effect, create brand awareness. With the proper analytics tools in place, you can measure this aspect of brand awareness and watch it grow along with your sales.

Sources:

• Enquiro, “Inside the Mind of the Searcher,” 2004
• Enquiro and MarketingSherpa, “The Role of Search in Business to Business Buying Decisions,” 2004
• iProspect survey, 2002
• comScore
  Easy Template to Write Your Own Cover Letter
  The following cover letter sample gives an idea of what most job hunters should do when composing these. It consists of only a very few paragraphs, and is therefore short and easy to read. The reason for this sample being short is simply because hiring managers are extremely busy and will not read long letters. They may glance at them, or skim them for statements that jump out at them, but they probably will not have time to read them. Use this sample when composing your own cover letters, and you’ll save time and get more interviews.Date HR Manager’s name Company Name Address City State Zip RE: Job Reference number (if one is available)Dear Mr. Blank,I’m writing to introduce myself in hopes of joining your organization, and have e
  Using search marketing to place your web site in front of people searching for what you’re selling is no longer a revolutionary concept. Everyone knows that search engine marketing is not only incredibly effective, but also an affordable means to drive conversions from hot prospects who are ready to buy.

  But what about prospects who are, well, a bit lukewarm? Is there any value in using search marketing earlier in the buying cycle, before the searcher has their credit card in hand?

  Several studies have shown that the answer to this question is a resounding “yes.” This is true whether you’re a B2C or B2B marketer, and whether you’re selling paperback books or technical solutions with a price tag in the six figures.

  On the consumer side, an Enquiro study found that the percentage of people who would use a search engine during the various stages of the buying cycle are:

  • 9% for Awareness
  • 68% for Consideration or Research
  • 43% for Decision
  • 28% for Purchase

  Let’s look at an example. A consumer who is ready to purchase might search for “sony ericsson s700i,” which is a “brand” search term. But before he decides that’s the type of cell phone he wants, he might search for a “generic” search term, such as “mp3 player cell phone.” This would be during the consideration or research phase.

  comScore found similar results in research done across several consumer categories. They found that while consumers using branded search terms were roughly 30% more likely to purchase online during that session as compared to searchers using generic terms, generic terms resulted in the greatest number of total purchases -- over 60%. This is simply because many more people use generic terms. A majority of searchers never use brand terms; instead, they rely only on generic terms.

  What is the key takeaway for B2C marketers? You need to be visible on search engines throughout your customers’ buying cycle. If you’re only found when they’re ready to purchase – if you’re only visible on brand search terms -- you are probably missing opportunities.

  Let’s turn our attention to business-to-business marketers. Do the same rules apply here? Absolutely. Not only did Enquiro find that 95% of corporate purchasing agents use the web to research products and services before selection, but they also found that 64% said a search engine would be the first place they’d turn early in the buying cycle.

  This is a typical buying cycle for a business buyer:

  • Needs identification (I have a problem – is there a solution available?)
  • Requirement specification (What type of solution best fits my problem?)
  • Research & evaluation (Which brand of solution best fits my problem?)
  • Selection (Where will I buy the brand that I’ve chosen?)

  The buying process can be more complex on the business side since there’s often more than one person involved in the decision. Savvy marketers will not only try to hit each stage of the buying cycle, but they’ll also try to reach each person involved in the purchasing decision.

  Often, the person feeling the pain in the organization is not the ultimate decision-maker. However, this person is important because he is the one who identifies the problem, researches solutions, and usually “sells in” the chosen provider or brand to the ultimate decision-maker. This influencer’s searching behavior will most likely be quite a bit more in-depth than the decision-maker’s, spanning a lengthier period of time throughout the process.

  The decision-maker may only run a few quick searches on the chosen provider’s company or brand name in order to do a credibility check. And, since 55% of web users (business or consumer) expect to find top brands in the few top search engine results, you’d better ensure that you’re easily found by the decision-maker who’s performing her due diligence.

  What is the key takeaway for B2B marketers? Like B2C marketers, you need to be visible on search engines throughout your customers’ buying cycle. There is also an additional level of complexity in that you must be found easily by different people involved in the buying process, each of whom may be searching with different agendas.

  Finally, let’s talk timing. On the consumer side, comScore found that only 15% of people made a purchase online in the same session in which they began a search. This means that 85% of purchases occurred later, with nearly 40% of all purchases occurring between five and 12 weeks after the first search was conducted.

  On the business side, Enquiro found, not surprisingly, that the budget for the particular item affected the length of time between the search and the purchase date. More than 80% of items with a price tag of less than $500 were bought within a month of the search date. However, 89% of items with a price tag of more than $50,000 took place between one and 12 months after the initial search date.

  What is the key takeaway for all marketers? As wonderful as web analytics software can be – especially the packages that can trace online conversions back to their search engine sources – their data will be incomplete due to the lag time in the buying cycle. Yes, set your cookies with as long an expiration date as you can, but recognize that you’re getting more sales from search engines than your software is able to measure.

  One last point is worth mentioning. Both consumer and business buyers doing online research early in the buying cycle will, ideally, learn about your brand during this process. Some of them will come back later to the search engines and search for your specific brand in order to determine where to buy. So over time, your presence on generic search terms will increase the number of searches run on brand search terms. Your search marketing campaign will, in effect, create brand awareness. With the proper analytics tools in place, you can measure this aspect of brand awareness and watch it grow along with your sales.

  Sources:

  • Enquiro, “Inside the Mind of the Searcher,” 2004
  • Enquiro and MarketingSherpa, “The Role of Search in Business to Business Buying Decisions,” 2004
  • iProspect survey, 2002
  • comScore s
    Nevada Non Profit Corporations
    Corporation incorporated for businesses engaged in charitable, religious, scientific or educational activities profiting for the betterment of the society is defined as non profit corporations.No part of the income or profit is distributed among the officers or the directors, other than for legal business purpose or for any other promotional purpose of the corporation. The income is tax exempted by the state of Nevada and is used for non profitable goals of the organization.The incorporation of the non profit corporation subjects to the complete tax exemptions rules. The corporation may have any number of directors, who need not be the resident citizens of the Nevada state; they have the provision to appoint a resident agent to handle the functioning of the non profit corporat
    search term, such as “mp3 player cell phone.” This would be during the consideration or research phase.

    comScore found similar results in research done across several consumer categories. They found that while consumers using branded search terms were roughly 30% more likely to purchase online during that session as compared to searchers using generic terms, generic terms resulted in the greatest number of total purchases -- over 60%. This is simply because many more people use generic terms. A majority of searchers never use brand terms; instead, they rely only on generic terms.

    What is the key takeaway for B2C marketers? You need to be visible on search engines throughout your customers’ buying cycle. If you’re only found when they’re ready to purchase – if you’re only visible on brand search terms -- you are probably missing opportunities.

    Let’s turn our attention to business-to-business marketers. Do the same rules apply here? Absolutely. Not only did Enquiro find that 95% of corporate purchasing agents use the web to research products and services before selection, but they also found that 64% said a search engine would be the first place they’d turn early in the buying cycle.

    This is a typical buying cycle for a business buyer:

    • Needs identification (I have a problem – is there a solution available?)
    • Requirement specification (What type of solution best fits my problem?)
    • Research & evaluation (Which brand of solution best fits my problem?)
    • Selection (Where will I buy the brand that I’ve chosen?)

    The buying process can be more complex on the business side since there’s often more than one person involved in the decision. Savvy marketers will not only try to hit each stage of the buying cycle, but they’ll also try to reach each person involved in the purchasing decision.

    Often, the person feeling the pain in the organization is not the ultimate decision-maker. However, this person is important because he is the one who identifies the problem, researches solutions, and usually “sells in” the chosen provider or brand to the ultimate decision-maker. This influencer’s searching behavior will most likely be quite a bit more in-depth than the decision-maker’s, spanning a lengthier period of time throughout the process.

    The decision-maker may only run a few quick searches on the chosen provider’s company or brand name in order to do a credibility check. And, since 55% of web users (business or consumer) expect to find top brands in the few top search engine results, you’d better ensure that you’re easily found by the decision-maker who’s performing her due diligence.

    What is the key takeaway for B2B marketers? Like B2C marketers, you need to be visible on search engines throughout your customers’ buying cycle. There is also an additional level of complexity in that you must be found easily by different people involved in the buying process, each of whom may be searching with different agendas.

    Finally, let’s talk timing. On the consumer side, comScore found that only 15% of people made a purchase online in the same session in which they began a search. This means that 85% of purchases occurred later, with nearly 40% of all purchases occurring between five and 12 weeks after the first search was conducted.

    On the business side, Enquiro found, not surprisingly, that the budget for the particular item affected the length of time between the search and the purchase date. More than 80% of items with a price tag of less than $500 were bought within a month of the search date. However, 89% of items with a price tag of more than $50,000 took place between one and 12 months after the initial search date.

    What is the key takeaway for all marketers? As wonderful as web analytics software can be – especially the packages that can trace online conversions back to their search engine sources – their data will be incomplete due to the lag time in the buying cycle. Yes, set your cookies with as long an expiration date as you can, but recognize that you’re getting more sales from search engines than your software is able to measure.

    One last point is worth mentioning. Both consumer and business buyers doing online research early in the buying cycle will, ideally, learn about your brand during this process. Some of them will come back later to the search engines and search for your specific brand in order to determine where to buy. So over time, your presence on generic search terms will increase the number of searches run on brand search terms. Your search marketing campaign will, in effect, create brand awareness. With the proper analytics tools in place, you can measure this aspect of brand awareness and watch it grow along with your sales.

    Sources:

    • Enquiro, “Inside the Mind of the Searcher,” 2004
    • Enquiro and MarketingSherpa, “The Role of Search in Business to Business Buying Decisions,” 2004
    • iProspect survey, 2002
    • comScore
      Difficult People: 3 Things You Must Know
      "The person who constantly angers you or frustrates you...controls you." Colleen KettenhofenDo you know any difficult people? Have you ever worked or lived with a difficult person? Are YOU a difficult person?! It's amazing how many participants in my leadership trainings will come up to me at the end of a program on, "Dealing with Difficult People," or "Dealing with Difficult Employees," and confide to me, "Colleen, I think sometimes I'm a difficult person and just realized it today!" Well, we can all be difficult people from time to time. But what do you do with the person who is chronically difficult? A key component to life balance is learning to live and work with difficult people. Because there will always be difficult people. Here are three important points you mu
      siness buyer:
      • Needs identification (I have a problem – is there a solution available?)
      • Requirement specification (What type of solution best fits my problem?)
      • Research & evaluation (Which brand of solution best fits my problem?)
      • Selection (Where will I buy the brand that I’ve chosen?)

      The buying process can be more complex on the business side since there’s often more than one person involved in the decision. Savvy marketers will not only try to hit each stage of the buying cycle, but they’ll also try to reach each person involved in the purchasing decision.

      Often, the person feeling the pain in the organization is not the ultimate decision-maker. However, this person is important because he is the one who identifies the problem, researches solutions, and usually “sells in” the chosen provider or brand to the ultimate decision-maker. This influencer’s searching behavior will most likely be quite a bit more in-depth than the decision-maker’s, spanning a lengthier period of time throughout the process.

      The decision-maker may only run a few quick searches on the chosen provider’s company or brand name in order to do a credibility check. And, since 55% of web users (business or consumer) expect to find top brands in the few top search engine results, you’d better ensure that you’re easily found by the decision-maker who’s performing her due diligence.

      What is the key takeaway for B2B marketers? Like B2C marketers, you need to be visible on search engines throughout your customers’ buying cycle. There is also an additional level of complexity in that you must be found easily by different people involved in the buying process, each of whom may be searching with different agendas.

      Finally, let’s talk timing. On the consumer side, comScore found that only 15% of people made a purchase online in the same session in which they began a search. This means that 85% of purchases occurred later, with nearly 40% of all purchases occurring between five and 12 weeks after the first search was conducted.

      On the business side, Enquiro found, not surprisingly, that the budget for the particular item affected the length of time between the search and the purchase date. More than 80% of items with a price tag of less than $500 were bought within a month of the search date. However, 89% of items with a price tag of more than $50,000 took place between one and 12 months after the initial search date.

      What is the key takeaway for all marketers? As wonderful as web analytics software can be – especially the packages that can trace online conversions back to their search engine sources – their data will be incomplete due to the lag time in the buying cycle. Yes, set your cookies with as long an expiration date as you can, but recognize that you’re getting more sales from search engines than your software is able to measure.

      One last point is worth mentioning. Both consumer and business buyers doing online research early in the buying cycle will, ideally, learn about your brand during this process. Some of them will come back later to the search engines and search for your specific brand in order to determine where to buy. So over time, your presence on generic search terms will increase the number of searches run on brand search terms. Your search marketing campaign will, in effect, create brand awareness. With the proper analytics tools in place, you can measure this aspect of brand awareness and watch it grow along with your sales.

      Sources:

      • Enquiro, “Inside the Mind of the Searcher,” 2004
      • Enquiro and MarketingSherpa, “The Role of Search in Business to Business Buying Decisions,” 2004
      • iProspect survey, 2002
      • comScore
        Craving of Online Gambling
        Online GamblingInternet has brought gambling into homes, and has made it available to everyone and everywhere in the world. The first actual online casino was formed in 1995, and now there are above 500 gambling websites on internet. In 1997, $200 million were earned by this business. Online gambling makes at least $3 billion of annual revenue. Gamblers log on to the website and deposit funds by using credit cards, certified cheques, money orders, or through wire transfers. If they win/loose the amount is automatically credited/deducted from their accounts.AddictionAs online gambling has gained popularity, it also gave birth to the gambling addiction. Now days, gambling addiction is the main concern that comes in the context of online gambling. It is a fact that legal
        er) expect to find top brands in the few top search engine results, you’d better ensure that you’re easily found by the decision-maker who’s performing her due diligence.

        What is the key takeaway for B2B marketers? Like B2C marketers, you need to be visible on search engines throughout your customers’ buying cycle. There is also an additional level of complexity in that you must be found easily by different people involved in the buying process, each of whom may be searching with different agendas.

        Finally, let’s talk timing. On the consumer side, comScore found that only 15% of people made a purchase online in the same session in which they began a search. This means that 85% of purchases occurred later, with nearly 40% of all purchases occurring between five and 12 weeks after the first search was conducted.

        On the business side, Enquiro found, not surprisingly, that the budget for the particular item affected the length of time between the search and the purchase date. More than 80% of items with a price tag of less than $500 were bought within a month of the search date. However, 89% of items with a price tag of more than $50,000 took place between one and 12 months after the initial search date.

        What is the key takeaway for all marketers? As wonderful as web analytics software can be – especially the packages that can trace online conversions back to their search engine sources – their data will be incomplete due to the lag time in the buying cycle. Yes, set your cookies with as long an expiration date as you can, but recognize that you’re getting more sales from search engines than your software is able to measure.

        One last point is worth mentioning. Both consumer and business buyers doing online research early in the buying cycle will, ideally, learn about your brand during this process. Some of them will come back later to the search engines and search for your specific brand in order to determine where to buy. So over time, your presence on generic search terms will increase the number of searches run on brand search terms. Your search marketing campaign will, in effect, create brand awareness. With the proper analytics tools in place, you can measure this aspect of brand awareness and watch it grow along with your sales.

        Sources:

        • Enquiro, “Inside the Mind of the Searcher,” 2004
        • Enquiro and MarketingSherpa, “The Role of Search in Business to Business Buying Decisions,” 2004
        • iProspect survey, 2002
        • comScore
          Find the Best Downloads Online
          Oh, we all know that we can download a load of free stuff from the Internet easily. But the best downloads are the ones that DON’T come with ‘extra’ features like viruses, worms, adwares, spywares, whathaveyounots. It’s the truth. When you download something free on the Internet, they sometimes come with some kind of a program that will either give you a headache or give your computer a sickness.You see, downloads are free on the surface. But whenever you download something from the Internet, they want something in return, such as our personal information which is sometimes harmless.The better way to download things online is to get a download program to help you download things off the Internet. For instance, http://www.amazesoft.com provides FlashGet which is a program that
          for all marketers? As wonderful as web analytics software can be – especially the packages that can trace online conversions back to their search engine sources – their data will be incomplete due to the lag time in the buying cycle. Yes, set your cookies with as long an expiration date as you can, but recognize that you’re getting more sales from search engines than your software is able to measure.

          One last point is worth mentioning. Both consumer and business buyers doing online research early in the buying cycle will, ideally, learn about your brand during this process. Some of them will come back later to the search engines and search for your specific brand in order to determine where to buy. So over time, your presence on generic search terms will increase the number of searches run on brand search terms. Your search marketing campaign will, in effect, create brand awareness. With the proper analytics tools in place, you can measure this aspect of brand awareness and watch it grow along with your sales.

          Sources:

          • Enquiro, “Inside the Mind of the Searcher,” 2004
          • Enquiro and MarketingSherpa, “The Role of Search in Business to Business Buying Decisions,” 2004
          • iProspect survey, 2002
          • comScore study released December 13, 2004