marketing your equine business on the internet
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Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 1
Marketing Your Equine Business Marketing Your Equine Business on the Interneton the InternetElizabeth Wood Bits & Bytes Farm
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2009 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
Power to the PEOPLE!Power to the PEOPLE!
Take control of your Take control of your marketing marketing and advertising!and advertising!
I am here I am here to help you to help you think about think about using the Internetusing the Internetto marketto marketyour business your business your business your business in new ways.in new ways.
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 2
The World is ChangingThe World is Changing
When was the last time you . . .
. . .went to the classified ads in your local newspaper to find a product or service?
The Internet is the classified ad choice for a new generation.
Search engines like Google and Yahoo have replaced your local newspaperyour local newspaper
Craig’s List has replaced the classified ads
When was the last time you . . .When was the last time you . . .
. . . went to the phone book and looked up a business in the Yellow Pages?
The Internet is the Yellow Pages for a new generation.
The Internet is Everywhere . . .The Internet is Everywhere . . .
. . . on your desktop
. . . on your laptop when you are mobile
. . . on your iPhone or PDA for anytime access
Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 3
You Need to Learn New Ways to You Need to Learn New Ways to Market Your (Equine) BusinessMarket Your (Equine) Business You need to use the new electronic tools to market your business
Your market is a lot bigger than it used to be
A flyer at your local tack store is just not going to do it anymore
Bits & Bytes Farm story
New Marketing ToolsNew Marketing Tools
Advertise on Equine Web sites
Many are free or little cost
Use Social Networking sites for free!
Linkin
Put videos on YouTube
Have a blog/Web site
Have an on‐line photo gallery
Three OptionsThree Options
1. FREE applications
www.wordpress.org
www.facebook.com
www.twitter.com
Easy to update design but limited to free designs
2 Low Cost site with wwwYOURCOMPANY com2. Low Cost site with www.YOURCOMPANY.com
Your own Web site
Easy to update
Email @ YOURCOMPANY.com
Blogs (they can be REAL Web sites)
Photo Galleries
3. Full Custom Site
All the bells & whistles
Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 4
Create a BlogCreate a Blog
Blog software is usually free with your Web hosting package
B2evolution
Nucleus
Word Press is the Most Popular Blog Software
Blog ExampleBlog Example
OTTB Success Stories
Advantages of a Blog Advantages of a Blog
Blogs can be updated by people with little or no knowledge of Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) –The language of the Internet
Blogs archive information
Blogs have Search capabilities
Blogs can link to Photo GalleriesBlogs can link to Photo Galleries
Free!
Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 5
Have an OnHave an On--Line Photo GalleryLine Photo Gallery
Free Gallery software is available with many hosting packages
Free software resizes and upload photos!
Photo Gallery ExamplePhoto Gallery Examplewww.OTTBswww.OTTBs--Online.comOnline.com
www.OTTBs‐Online.comis an example of a photo gallery of horses for sale.
Photo galleries can standPhoto galleries can stand alone or be linked from a Web site or blog.
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com
Use Video to Sell Horses Use Video to Sell Horses
Traditional Method
1. Get the camera out and make a tape.
2. Make duplicates.
3 Send by snail mail
New Methods
1. Use a video camera with digital capture or copy the tape to your computer.
3. Send by snail‐mail.
4. Wait for response and return of tape.
p
2. Duplicate on CD, mail and wait.
3. Upload to YouTube or your Web site.
4. Get instant response.
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 6
Use the Internet to Show Video!Use the Internet to Show Video!
Video files can be large and difficult to send by e‐mail
Put them on your Web site
You may need to purchase more bandwidth
You can also store video on YouTube
You can embed YouTube video on a page on your Web site
Use video to sell your product!
The cost has been dramatically reduced with the new technology and the Internet!
How Do Potential Customers Find Your Business?
A sign in front of your farm or business lets potential customers know you are there. . .
BUT . . .
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 7
Most Every Business Has a SignMost Every Business Has a Sign
All customers are not passer‐bys.
All passer‐bys are not customers.
That is why you need an Internet presence!
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
Why Have a Web Site?Why Have a Web Site?
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
What is a Web Site?What is a Web Site?
A Web site is your traveling salesman who is out there selling your services 24/7.
It is the receptionist who is a customer’s first contact with your business.
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 8
Why Do You Need a Web Site?Why Do You Need a Web Site?
Consumers use the Internet like earlier generations used the Yellow Pages in the phone book.
It is a quick way to find vendors offering services you need.
It is a lot less expensive than advertising.
It can provide more information than an d iadvertisement.
It can be updated instantly for little or no cost
Try and update a full color brochure and you will understand the value of a Web site.
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
What Do You Need to Get Started?What Do You Need to Get Started?
Find a Hosting Company & Buy a Domain Name
Price may vary greatly!!!
Avoid GoDaddy and Register.com
Compare storage space and bandwidth numbers between hosting solutions
Many hosting companies offer free domain names but read the fine print! You may not own your own name or have to put up with ads on your site.
http://www.webhostingreviews.com/
A Domain name A Domain name --www.YourCompany.comwww.YourCompany.com The most basic functionality of a domain name is to provide symbolic representations, i.e., recognizable names, to mostly numerically addressed Internetresources.
Each Domain name has a DNS number
Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 9
DNS Number?DNS Number?
The Domain Name System (DNS) associates various sorts of information with so‐called domain names; most importantly, it serves as the "phone book" for the Internet by translating human‐readable computer hostnames, e.g.hostnames, e.g.
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com
into the IP addresses, e.g. 208.77.188.166, that networking equipment needs to deliver information.
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
The Simple Technical Explanation The Simple Technical Explanation of a Web siteof a Web site When a potential customer types in your Web site address (www.bitsandbytesfarm.com) their computer finds your Web site by looking up its DNS number and following that address to the Hosting Company’s server where the Web site’s files are stored.
Your Domain Name needs to have an IP address Your Domain Name needs to have an IP address of a server.
This means that when you purchase a domain name you need a place to park (store) your files.
Domain Names are inexpensive.
Buy any related Domain Names.
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
Purchase Subscription to a Purchase Subscription to a Hosting ServiceHosting Service This is where your site will be stored
The hosting company offers many free or fee services
Blogs
Shopping Carts
Photo Galleries
Forums
Support
FTP – File Transfer Protocol to upload your pages to the host
Site builder tools and templates
These are the products that vary from host to host.
Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 10
What is the Cost of a Web Site?What is the Cost of a Web Site?
It can be FREE! If you don’t mind ADS on YOUR site
If you are not wanting to customize your blog
It can be very expensive
Or it can be anywhere between these two options
FREE Web Site?FREE Web Site?
YES. It can be FREE!
Try WordPress.com
WordPress.comWordPress.com
It’s not just a blog
WordPress.com has a feature called “pages” which allows you to easily create web pages.
For example, you could add an “about me” page with your biography, and a link to that page would be automatically added to your sidebar.added to your sidebar.
You can even create an entire web site using pages on WordPress.com, with a custom home page and your blog as one of the sub‐pages.
Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 11
Building a Web Site is Like Building a Web Site is Like Building a HouseBuilding a House
Are you building a summer camp or a 30 room mansion?
You can always add on as you have itime or resources.
Web Site Creation OptionsWeb Site Creation Options
Get a Web Site Made for You
Do It Yourself
Use a Template
Site Creators
Use Blog software like WordPressg
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
A Few Guidelines to Making a A Few Guidelines to Making a Good (and Functional) Web SiteGood (and Functional) Web Site
WIFM Always remember to make your site interesting and useful to your potential customers.
Make it easy to navigate
What message do you want to convey?
What resources do you have to tell your story?
Photos
Videos
Testimonials
What Content Is Available?
Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 12
Announce Your SiteAnnounce Your Site
Links from RELEVANT sites
Use Social Networking
Linkin
Send out e‐Mail
Build an address book of your contacts
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
SEOSEO
Search Engine Optimization
This is what makes it possible for your site to be found on the Internet
This is usually an additional service that you purchase
SEOSEO
There are simple things you can add to your site that will help the search engines find your site.
Name your pages
Have TEXT on your pages
Do not build your entire site as a FLASH animation
Add keywords and description META tags Add keywords and description META tags
Use the H1, H2 tags properly when you create your site
Use SEO Plug
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
Marketing Your Equine Business on the Internet Elizabeth Wood
©2009 Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc. All rights reserved. 770‐704‐6595 www.bitsandbytesfarm.com 13
Optimize For Search EnginesOptimize For Search Engines
Keep checking to see if your site is found by search engines using your key words
Thoroughbred Horses For Sale
Google reports that there are:
18,800,000 pages that match this search
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
Optimize For Search EnginesOptimize For Search Engines
thoroughbred horses for sale
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
Bits & Bytes Farm comes up at the top of page one of a search for “Thoroughbred Horses For Sale” – out of 18 MILLION pages that match this search!
UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!
Give the visitors a reason to revisit your site.
New News
New Products
Results from Competitions
New Photos
Links
www.bitsandbytesfarm.com © 2008 Copyright Bits & Bytes Farm, Inc.
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