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Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Always Add Alt Text to Image Tags in Your Email Newsletters
We are developing a new email newsletter campaign for a client of ours.
The email contains a few images so we need to make sure each image tag contains text within the alt attribute (tag).
Why? Let me explain by example.
The image below will display first, so it’s important that our message gets read.
If images are turned off – which email programs will do – you won’t see anything, but if you include alt text, this is what your readers will see:
Making sure each image in your email newsletter contains alt text is super important. Many email systems turn off images to combat spam. Spammers can include viruses into images.
How to Add Alt Text to an Image Tag
Within your HTML code find the <img> tag. Add your text within the alt attribute: <img src="/image-filename.jpg" alt="This is where you add your alt text">
Bottom line: If you don’t include alt text in your images your email campaign could be in jeopardy.
Read our other email newsletter tips.
Posted by: Michael Swartz at 4:23 pm
Comments: None | Filed under: Email Newsletters, Web Marketing
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Marketing 101: How Did You Hear About Us?
 It’s something, I know, most businesses do not do. And it is the simplest gauge to find out how people are finding your business.
All businesses are in the marketing business. Make this a part of your everyday tasks.
How Did You Hear About Us?
Always ask – over the phone, email, or from your website – “How did you hear about us?” or “How did you find out about our company?”
Know where your business is coming from. Use your findings to determine if your advertising dollars are working or if your referrals are the best source.
Remember, it never hurts to ask.
Posted by: Michael Swartz at 10:30 am
Comments: None | Filed under: Business, Web Marketing
Monday, June 7, 2010
Websites Are Tracking Your Every Move
While visiting All Things Digital, the homepage presents the following disclosure:
“A note about tracking cookies
Some of the advertisers and Web analytics firms used on this site may place “tracking cookies” only your computer. We are telling you about them right upfront, and we want you to know how to get rid of these tracking cookies if you like. Read more >”
 A note about tracking cookies Is this the new standard? I hope not. Did the lawyers get involved in this? Or our government?
Google just recently announced a Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Tracking is Okay
A lot of websites rely on good quality statistics and, yes, this involves tracking a user through a website. Why is this considered harmful? It’s not. You’re being tracked anonymously. No personal data is ever sent with web analytics software.
How are we, internet marketers, supposed to make the visitors experience better? Website tracking helps website owners present the most meaningful website data first. Tracking helps companies know what their visitors want and don’t want.
I personally think the disclosure is ridiculous. People should worry more about giving their credit card to their waiter than worry about being tracked anonymously.
Posted by: Michael Swartz at 3:29 pm
Comments: None | Filed under: Web General, Web Marketing
Friday, December 11, 2009
Biggest Web Design Mistake: No Phone Number on Homepage
The biggest web design mistake is:
- NOT putting your phone number on your homepage
I needed to rent some equipment and found West Coast Rental here in Alameda. I picked up the phone to get ready to call and couldn’t find the phone number anywhere on the homepage, not even in the footer.
 No Phone Number Present on Homepage I had to spend some time to search for the ‘Contact Us’ button and then found the phone number.
If you expect people to contact your organization, I’d highly recommend including your phone number on your homepage…and maybe on every page for that matter.
PS: After reviewing the site, they might not be able to help me anyway. I was looking for tool rental equipment, not party & event rentals. Oh well.
Posted by: Michael Swartz at 11:12 pm
Comments: None | Filed under: SEO, Web Design, Web Marketing, Writing For The Web
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Skittles New Website. Who Cares?
Is this the corporate website of the future?
The new Skittles website.
Really…the website is just direct links to social networking sites talking about Skittles. I understand the popularity of sharing, but this seems way over the top.
Posted by: Michael Swartz at 10:30 pm
Comments: None | Filed under: Web Design, Web General, Web Marketing
Friday, January 23, 2009
Add Your RSS Feed to Your Email Messages
 Hello.
To promote my blog, I have a link to it from all my email messages. It’s just a generic link to my blog, not to any particular post.
Traffic from this generic link is pretty slim, so I thought if I could dynamically (automatically) include my most recent posts to my email messages, I’d gain some more traffic. Well, I found out how to do it.
If you use Feedburner to distribute your RSS feeds, you will need to setup up Animator.
This is how my signature file looked before:
Michael Swartz
Senior Web Architect
MJS Web Solutions
“Building Websites That Can Actually be Found”
(510) 523-7312
info@mjswebsolutions.com
http://www.mjswebsolutions.com
===================================
MJS Blog:Â http://www.mjswebsolutions.com/blog
=================================== This is how it looks now:
Michael Swartz
Senior Web Architect
MJS Web Solutions
“Building Websites That Can Actually be Found”
(510) 523-7312
info@mjswebsolutions.com
http://www.mjswebsolutions.com
So now when I add a new post to my blog, my RSS feed updates to my signature file. Very cool.
My next step is to see if traffic to my blog increases.
Mike Swartz says, “Check it out”!
Posted by: Michael Swartz at 12:30 pm
Comments: None | Filed under: Blogroll, Web Marketing
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Google is Still The Leader in Search
 Google continues to dominate the web search environment.
According to the Internet metric company Hitwise, “more than 72 percent of American searches were conducted with Google; meanwhile, a little under 18 percent used Yahoo, and just more than 5 percent used Windows Live Search”.
View Report (.pdf)
Back in 2006, Google controlled around 43% of the search market.
The reason why more people go to Google to search is because Google delivers. How many times has Google NOT found what you’re looking for? For me? Very few.
I’ve continued to say and will as long as Google dominates the market, “Optimize for Google First“.
Posted by: Michael Swartz at 5:40 pm
Comments: None | Filed under: SEO, Web General, Web Marketing
Monday, January 5, 2009
DeVry’s Banner Ad Works
I was visiting Investors.com and noticed the DeVry banner ad below.
Clicking on the banner sends you to this Landing Page:
The ad works!
- In the current economy, people are going back to school. DeVry can help.
- The banner ad displays courses you can take and a button to apply
- The landing page does it’s job (1) Explains the program and (2) includes a form to immediately take action and request more information.
Posted by: Michael Swartz at 11:43 pm
Comments: None | Filed under: Web Marketing
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
It Pays To Have a Website
 Hello.
Been awhile, I know. But I have a good excuse.
I was on vacation in Ireland. Great country. Beautiful people too.
We lodged at the Croan Cottages. A very nice place to stay. The owners of the cottage live on the property with a farm and peaceful landscapes.
I asked my Father in Law how he found the place and he said the internet. I asked another guest on the property the same question. He said, he found out about the cottages on the internet. He said he typed in some keywords into Google and wah la.
The owner is now telling other businesses in the area to get a website because of the increase in business he’s receiving from marketing on the internet.
My Point
Even if your website is just one page, that’s fine, just put something up. If nothing else, get one domain and one web page.
On this page, simply list your business name, logo, picture of product(s)/service(s), something about the company and services, and how to contact.
There is no good reason why your business is not online.
Photo: An actual picture we took while visiting the Woodstock Gardens.
Posted by: Michael Swartz at 5:38 pm
Comments: None | Filed under: Business, SEO, Web Marketing
Monday, November 19, 2007
How NOT to Title Your Email Newsletter Subject Line
They tricked me. I don’t want to be treated this way from my email newsletters.
I just received an email from Vertical Response with the Subject: Is there such a thing as too much business?
“Yes, if it’s the wrong kind of business.”
I was going to submit my comments above but no where in the email was the answer OR the question.
At least match the Subject line to a Headline or Story or I’m not going to read the email.
I didn’t. It’s been deleted.
If you’re not going to deliver, don’t bother.
Please. When you write your Subject line deliver on your promise. Don’t trick your users or try to give them something that’s not. They won’t read it.
Posted by: Michael Swartz at 7:06 pm
Comments: 2 Comments | Filed under: Web Design, Web Marketing, Writing For The Web
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