marketing your equine business on the internet

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.




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



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!

Facebook

Twitter

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



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!



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.




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 . . .




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!


Why Have a Web Site?Why Have a Web Site?


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.




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.


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



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.


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.


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.



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.



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


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?



Announce Your SiteAnnounce Your Site

Links from RELEVANT sites

Use Social Networking

Twitter

Linkin

Facebook

Send out e‐Mail

Build an address book of your contacts


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




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


Optimize For Search EnginesOptimize For Search Engines

thoroughbred horses for sale


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




Thank You!

Promote your equine business on‐line today!


marketing your equine business on the internet

Documents