A component to succeeding online is to have a network of websites that link to you. This will help you generate traffic and rank better in search results. Before you start link building you need to know the different methods as well as their pros and cons.
Manual Link Building
There are a number of different ways to link build. The most established way is requesting a link from a website owner or webmaster. You want to find websites that are on the same or similar topic as yours and ask them for a link to your website (you may want to offer one to them in exchange).
You need to send an e-mail to the contact person you find on the website and make the request. Chances are you will need to follow up more than once before getting a response. If you do not get a response after 5 or 6 requests you may be better off moving on.
The pro of this type of link building is that it is considered a fairly ethical practice. The con of this type of link build is that it is very labor intensive.
Buying Links
As you can imagine, there have been some very industrious people who saw an opportunity to make money and have created networks where people can buy links on other people's websites and sell links on their site.
In a matter of minutes you can buy links to your website from websites on a similar topic (the only value in link building is if you get links from sites on a similar topic).
The major pro with this type of link building is that it is fast. The major con is that Google specifically forbids it and will penalize or ban any website caught doing it.
Links Through Content Distribution
Distributing articles and press releases is a great way to build links to your website. If you write (or have written) articles and press releases that are relevant you can build a considerable network of links into your site. The better the articles and press releases are the better the results will be.
The major pro for this type of link building is that it is effective and ethical. The major con is that if you are not a good writer you will need to find one.
Importance of Landing Pages
Landing pages are an essential part of a successful Internet marketing plan. It is quite common for a website to have different landing pages with marketing efforts focused on driving specific traffic to specific landing pages.
Multiple Pages
Most websites sell a variety of products or at the very least different models. For example, a fashion website may sell pants, shoes, shirts, skirts, blouses, etc. A website that sells watches may sell gold watches, silver watches, divers' watchers, etc.
You want to bring consumers to a specific page on your site. Someone looking for a leather skirt does not want to land on a web page that does not immediately show them that you sell leather skirts. Someone looking for a gold watch wants to land on a page that makes it clear you sell gold watches.
In short you need to give people what they want from the very first second they arrive on your website.
Content and Images
Try to get in the mindset of your target market and make sure your landing pages speak directly to that target audience. If your primary target market is females 18 - 24, make sure all images appeal to girls ages 18 to 24. If your target market is men and women 40 - 55 years old, make sure your images appeal to that target market.
In addition to your images appealing to your target market you want to make sure the content appeals to them as well. Your target market must feel comfortable with your site in order to build consumer confidence and loyalty.
Your Call to Action
Every landing page must include a call to action. A call to action can be to click on a link to learn more, add something to a shopping cart, leave their e-mail address, etc. You must identify what action you want the website visitor to take and make sure it is easy for them to take it.
Everything you want a consumer to do should be 1 to 2 clicks away at most. If they need to navigate through too many pages there is a good chance you will lose their interest before you got them to the final call to action.
The bottom line is to make sure you have landing pages that appeal to all segments of your target market and you should see an increase in your conversion rates.