You have just searched in Google for a specific product. You are ready to buy and your credit card is in hand. But wait! The page will not load. Annoyed and agitated, you click on the next ad to make your purchase. Let’s face the facts; time is a precious commodity and patience is not something people have a lot of (online shoppers in particular). That being said, there are few things more frustrating than clicking on a paid advertisement and then having to wait for the page to load. Most shoppers simply will not wait and as a result you (the marketer) pay for that click and unfortunately get absolutely nothing from it. You didn’t even get the chance to show what you have to offer! In addition, this will certainly increase your bounce rate and do absolutely nothing to improve your conversion rate or quality score.

It is always important to have your website pages load efficiently and accurately, but even more so now that Google has announced that they will be incorporating “landing page quality” into their quality score. Your quality score is a critical piece of the puzzle within Google in terms of paid rankings. The better your quality score, the better your positions. Google has always tried to provide the user with the best possible experience and this new metric should be in place in the next few weeks. Thus, all online marketers should take this time to ensure that their web pages are up to speed, literally and figuratively. Check out the latest buzz from Google!

Recently I was reading a blog that confirmed a concept I had believed on the subject of marketing, and how the channels of media have been interacting with each other. The article was geared toward teenagers and their behavior in utilizing various media channels.

Teenagers are still watching TV, but that isn’t the only thing they are doing. Approximately 65% of youth aged nine through seventeen are splitting their TV time with the internet. They are actively engaged in online polls, contests and posting opinions on their favorite TV shows in forums. One statistic I found very interesting in the Search Engine Watch blog was, “once a kid is online, the Internet begins to dominate their attention: 47 percent said that the Internet becomes the primary focus, while 42 percent said their attention is split equally between the Internet and TV.”

This conjures up another statistic I found a few months ago that addressed the transition of TV viewers watching their shows on the Internet rather than on the tube. More and more people are watching their shows on You Tube and the like. So, in some cases TV viewers have already made the switch from the old school tube to the new school tube- the internet. While they are there…bring them to your website!

The data is compelling. It is certainly advantageous for advertisers who use TV to reach your audience to further that engagement by driving your audience to your website. The longer you engage them the more likely will recognize your product or service versus someone else’s. So, add creative activities to website, whether it is a contest, or just a fun activity. Give your audience another way to interact with you.

There are other benefits to adding such features to your website. If the activities you create are innovative and fun enough, visitors to your website will talk about it, share it, and in turn drive even more visitors to your site.

The channels of marketing have been in a state of transition since the emergence of the internet and it is very important for advertisers to recognize and utilize the power of this blended media. By incorporating Internet Marketing into your advertising repertoire you’ll create a stronger image and capture an audience you might already be missing. This trend is going to continue as teenagers become adults with greater spending capabilities. No matter who your audience is… it’s time to look at the other tube!

Last night I pulled the full plastic trash bag out of my kitchen garbage can and accidentally ripped it. Next thing I knew, I was standing in a pool of ketchup, while coffee grinds dripped out of the hole in the bag. I knew I should have bought the more expensive bags. The store branded bags were cheaper than the ones I usually buy, so I figured, “What difference will it really make?”. Now I am stuck with 50 tall kitchen bags that tear because they are unable to support even a paper cup. Not only that, but now I have to double-up some of the bags, so in essence, I’m just spending more money. There are just certain things that you should not purchase based on price.

Here are 10 things that I would not purchase just because they are inexpensive:

10. Garbage bags
9. Toilet paper
8. Alcohol
7. Business consultant
6. Lasik surgery
5. Defense Attorney
4. Tutor
3. Bluetooth
2. Paper plates

And the last “thing” I would not purchase based on price is:

1. Internet Marketing Firm

Cheap SEO? It doesn’t even sound like a bargain. I speak daily to companies that are looking for optimization services. One of the first things they ask is “how much will it cost? I’m looking for a cheap solution, but I have to be on the first page of Google”. I just shake my head because I know if they find what they are looking for, they are going to wind up calling me next year after they are banned by the search engines.

Cheap PPC? I speak to businesses who claim they can outsource PPC Management Programs for a very inexpensive percentage of their budget. How much human interaction, analysis, A/B testing and campaign adjustments are they going to receive at 7%? With poor campaign management, ROI would be lower and they would probably be spending more in the long run.

Beware of search marketing firms that are “cheap”. You’ll get what you pay for and the ramifications are much greater than just wiping ketchup off the floor.

Feel free to add to the list.