• Wordpress Themes
• Recommended Wordpress Plug-Ins

• Increase the numbers of visitors to your site
• Increase your Search Engine ranking
• Establish you as an expert in your field
• Increase brand recognition

Here are several techniques to increase the number of inbound links you have to your site.

Engaging comments, feedback, and articles attract more visitors to your site than simple messages such as “Great Post!

1.  Fill Out Your Public Profile on all your Networks

Everyone thinks of Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter when it comes to publishing your links, but there are a lot of other networks you are a member of.

• Instant Messenger Services: Yahoo!, Google, Windows Live, Skype
• Shopping Sites: Amazon, Borders.  Only do this for shopping sites that you purchase or review products you want others to see.
• Local Business Networks: BNI, Chamber of Commerce.  Many of these have a member directory online.

2.  Write Constructive Comments in Blogs and Forums

One of the best ways to increase traffic to your blog and website is to actively participate in other sites’ blogs and forums that are specific to your industry or expertise.

Don’t just link to your home page.

Use website links to specific pages or blog posts on your website that pertain to the topic you are commenting on.

Resources:

(Yaro) http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/783/proof-that-blog-commenting-still-works-to-build-traffic/
(Darren) http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/11/04/the-power-of-commenting-on-blogs/

3. Actively Participate on Social Networks

The rules are the same whether you are networking in person or on the Internet.  Get actively involved; don’t just advertise your events or services.

Getting involved in discussions with others on the social network increases your exposure.  You have just made yourself known to that person’s social network.

Every time you tweet, post, or answer a question on the social network, a person can click on your id to get to your profile page – and the link to your website.

• Review and answer questions in your field of expertise asked on LinkedIn’s Answer Center.
• Post links to informative articles in your field of expertise on Twitter, Facebook, and such.
• Post on others’ wall in Facebook.

4. Exchange links with your network

Create a preferred partners or resource page on your website.  Speak to people within your network with complementary services about having them put a link on their site and, in return, you will place a link on your site.

5.  Create Product Lists and Review Products on Amazon

Create a list of products on Amazon and submit product reviews for things that pertain to your industry. Fill out the public profile for your account to add a link to your website.

Think of it like another social network.  You are providing useful information to an audience of active purchasers.

6.  Pay-Per-Click and other Paid Advertising

Pay-Per-Click and Banner Advertising get you exposure.  Besides using a service such as Google AdSense, do you own research and contact targeted web site owners to put links on their sites.

Choose an inner page on a website that has content pertaining to what the person is reading from the source web page.

• How to Build Links Fast: 101 Tips & Strategies
• Incoming Links Development Guide
• How to Build Incoming Links to Your Blog

Client: Patti Handy of Teens Cash Coach is a financial coach for teenagers and family.  She teaches money management skills to teenagers.

Before the Project:

Patti has a 10-DVD set that teaches money management to teenagers.  She wanted to create a digital product that allows her to teach the lessons on the DVD through the Internet over a course of 40 weeks.

Patti had a rudimentary site created by a virtual assistant with a little bit of HTML skills.  She wanted to redesign the site and incorporate the 40-weeks of lessons on the same site.

She wanted to use her new web site header for the color palette.

Project Goals:

• Migrate her existing website  to Wordpress.
• Migrate an existing Wordpress.com blog to the new site.
• Edit the content to make it flow better.

• Splice DVD video into 40 weeks of lessons and add content to site.

• Setup Wishlist Member to manage customers who purchase the 40-week eCourse.
• Setup sequential delivery of the 40 weeks of lessons.

Highlights:

Patti decided to go for a whole new look. After chosing iTheme’s Architect Theme, Just2Technical:

• Changed the colors and incorporated her header.
• Designed a home page where most content was “above the fold.”
• Customized the tabs to become “button” links to her main products.
• Added a video instead of revolving images to the home page.
• Setup a paid membership site which is integrated with 1ShoppingCart.
• Created a custom landing page after members log in to display all lessons.  Links to the lesson only become available once they reach a specific week in their membership.

Website: TeensCashCoach.com
Technology: Wordpress, Wishlish Member

Project completed October 2009. Patti Handy continues to be a client of Just2Technical. We maintain her Wordpress site and assist with continued development of her site.

Client: Michigan Virtual Assistants, a non-profit association of Virtual Assistance businesses in Michigan.

Before the Project:

The former Michigan VA site was in Drupal.  It was hard to maintain because it required advanced technical skills.  A Yahoo! Group was used to allow members to use e-mail to communicate and provide support to other members.

The website design was developed at the end of 2008.  We wanted to keep the look-and-feel the same because we had changed it so recently.

Project Goals:

• Migrate her existing website and its pages to Wordpress
• Create a custom coded Member Directory and Member Profile
• Setup Wishlist Member to manage membership expirations and such
• Replace the Yahoo! Group with a forum that allows members to receive e-mail notification of new posts
• Include features such as upcoming events, RFP submission, and a blog of syndicated posts

Site Features:

• Interactive forum with e-mail notification through AWeber when a new post is made
• Request for Proposal submission
• Blog syndicates posts from members’ professional blogs
• Member Profile with photo, social network links, and custom information
• Upcoming Events
• Easy application maintenance

Website: MichiganVAs.com
Technology: Wordpress, Paypal, AWeber, Wishlish Member

Ricki Steigerwald is a member of the Michigan Virtual Assistance.  She volunteered her time to creating a site that is interactive and easier to maintain.

Client: Ruth Hegarty of Leap of Confidence is a life coach.

Before the Project:

Ruth had a website using 1&1’s Site Builder.  The site used an old-fashion template and was hard to maintain because Ruth wanted to add javascript to incorporate her social network connections and shopping cart.

Ruth Hegarty loves her logo and its colors.

Project Goals:

• Migrate her existing website and its pages to Wordpress.
• Create a professional, up-to-date look and feel for her site.
• Setup Wishlist Member to create a paid membership site for her clients.
• Give her members access to a protected area where they can view paid content and download past teleclasses.

Highlights:

After reviewing her existing site, Ruth decided to go for a whole new look.  After chosing iTheme’s Deep Order Theme, Just2Technical:

• Changed the colors and photograph in the header to match her business.
• Customized the footer with the 3 sections to remain visible throughout the entire site.
• Created a custom home page with 6 buttons highlighting the different elements of her business.
• Setup a paid membership site which is integrated with 1ShoppingCart.
• Created a custom landing page after members log in to make it easy to find information.

Website: CoachRuth.com
Technology: Wordpress, Wishlish Member

Project completed September 2009.  Ruth Hegarty continues to be a client of Just2Technical.  We maintain her Wordpress site and assist with continued development of her site.