My brother Patrick owns a web design firm Modern Blue Web Design and I have always been impressed with not only his design but also his ability to create sites that are 100% valid in whatever the code he is using. He can even validate flash inside of a site, which not too many designers can do.

Here is some seo proof that validation and good overall site structure can help a site be indexed with ease. One of his latest projects is DoGreat.com(awesome domain name). When the site was done he was lookng at some things and found that it had been indexed in Google, but he nor I, nor anyone else had linked to it, which is the best way to get a new site indexed right away. Well anyways now he has over 60 pages indexed in Google and at the time there were no links to the site now there are a few. But it goes to show that if a site is created very well, smooth code, transitional info and with a good structure you can get most of its pages indexed without a sitemap or links.

Also here is a cool site http://www.w3csites.com/ that lists validated sites, there are some awesome designs on there. If you have a validated site get it on there, you will get traffic.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed, or follow Chris Bennett on Twitter and make sure you check out our free analytics product BLVD Status and Social Media for FireFox Which is used by more than 500,000 marketers

What you pick for a domain name really does matter and I want to dive deeper into why.

First of all you are branding yourself and company. If you do not pick wisely it could hurt you in the long run. For example; if you chose something other then a dot com it could be hard to get people to remember the extention when telling them your domain name. Keep in mind you do not have the marketing/branding budget of Ebay, Yahoo! or Amazon. They can call themselves whatever they want cause the have the money to. For a smaller budget its best to stick to a keyword or phrase that will get people searching for your site…(or better….just typing it in.)

Another example, a new site I recently have been putting together for a friend has a company called Utah County Sprinkler, and it just so happens that searches are done for that exact phrase (as well as Utah Sprinkler just cause its in the domain). Just by owning the domain name, eventually he will be on top of the search engines for atleast that phrase. Very powerful. Lucky that domain name was still open. Now there is alot of domain names that are already taken and may be more expensive to obtain, but well worth the money spent on them!

You can search out available and expiring domains here through a site called DomainsBots … this is a great tool to help you find the best domain name possible! Don’t pick out something that has an extention other then a dot com, and don’t make the domain name so long as to lose your breath saying it! Keep it simple and if possible find a keyword that is searched for and is an open domain!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed, or follow Chris Bennett on Twitter and make sure you check out our free analytics product BLVD Status and Social Media for FireFox Which is used by more than 500,000 marketers

Its something every marketer online (or off) has to deal with–marketing budgets. It takes somewhat of a balancing act to be a successful marketer. Online you have so many things to consider:

1. How long to buy domain name for
2. Hosting Plans
3. Paying for content or doing it yourself
4. Web Design
5. Programming
6. Directory Submissions
7. Paid Listings (PPC)
8. Autoresponders
9. Article submission
10. Press Release

There are so many more things to name, but these are some of the biggies. Where do you start? How do you go about marketing successfully with out killing yourself and breaking the bank? You must have a marketing plan strategy, and create a business plan in order to succeed. That also includes time-management.

Everyone wants to have a “Dell.com” website, but don’t realize that Dell invests millions into thier system and website. As a small business owner you do not have that kind of money to be investing. Start small, and when you start making money re-invest the money into the company. Remember, you can have the prettiest site in the world, but if you can’t get traffic to it you will not make sales. The more money you make, the more you can invest in web design, marketing and other expenses. Once you get alot of that set in place, then start paying yourself.

Bottom line is to not think you have to do everything at once. If you try that as a small internet business owner it will break you! Ideas to marketing for cheap (if not free)

1. Free Directory Submission
2. Free Press Release Submission
3. Free Article Submissions

Set Goals, write a business plan and get a better understanding of what you will have to accomplish in order for the business to be successful!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed, or follow Chris Bennett on Twitter and make sure you check out our free analytics product BLVD Status and Social Media for FireFox Which is used by more than 500,000 marketers