| Building a web site for your yoga business is an | | | | newsletter programs include automatic responder or |
| important and effective means of bringing in new | | | | 'autoresponder' capabilities, which send prewritten |
| students. | | | | messages to subscribers at set time intervals. |
| It can be a costly endeavor, however, especially if you | | | | For instance, when someone signs up for your |
| hire someone to build the site for you. Building it | | | | newsletter, you can have a thank-you message sent |
| yourself, on the other hand, can be time consuming, | | | | automatically. The next day have the autoresponder |
| especially if you are new to web marketing. | | | | send your class schedule. Two days later, send a |
| Here are a few tips to help new and experienced | | | | message about the health benefits of yoga. On day |
| yoga teachers and studio owners get the most from | | | | four, your autoresponder can send a coupon for a |
| a web site. | | | | class discount or private session, and so on. |
| 1. Yoga business marketing starts with your web site's | | | | It takes repeated contact to turn web site visitors into |
| domain name | | | | paying clients, building your yoga business slowly but |
| Most yoga teachers and studio owners spend far too | | | | surely. An autoresponder system is an inexpensive |
| much time deciding on a domain name for their web | | | | and effective method of automatically staying in touch |
| site. | | | | with your prospects. Write your messages once and |
| One of the first places search engines like Google look | | | | you're free to concentrate on other things. |
| for keywords is in the domain name. So it makes | | | | 4. Slow and steady link-earning ensures long-term |
| sense to put words in the domain name that people | | | | success of your yoga business's online presence |
| will actually look for. | | | | Earning links from other people's web sites will make |
| People most often search for yoga classes on the | | | | sure that search engines recognize your site as an |
| Internet by typing in the name of their city and the | | | | authority on whatever topic your web site covers. |
| words 'yoga' or 'yoga class.' Unless you or your studio | | | | In the past, people submitted their sites to 'link farms,' |
| have already established a well recognized brand | | | | where all kinds of web sites were included with no |
| name that people will actually search for on the | | | | organized theme. Next, people engaged in reciprocal |
| Internet, it's a good idea to incorporate the name of | | | | linking schemes to trade links between two or more |
| your city with the word 'yoga' into your domain name. | | | | unrelated web sites in an effort to game the search |
| You can then register a second domain with the actual | | | | engines. |
| name of your yoga business that redirects to the first | | | | These days the search engines are smarter, so |
| domain name. | | | | increasing your yoga web site's authority isn't simply a |
| Whenever possible, use '.com,' for your site because it | | | | matter of submitting your link here and there all over |
| is the most respected top-level domain (TLD) and the | | | | the Internet and getting links back. |
| easiest for people to remember. | | | | The best way to get links is to earn them. This is a |
| 2. Flash is the number one killer of yoga web sites | | | | slower process of creating content on your site that |
| Flash is a powerful program that can produce stunning | | | | other site owners will naturally want to link to, earning |
| graphic displays and play music on web sites. Many | | | | what is called a 'backlink' or 'in-pointing link.' |
| web designers build beautiful yoga web sites | | | | Link from your site to other sites sparingly, and only link |
| completely in Flash. | | | | to sites related to your site's theme. A rule of thumb is |
| Unfortunately, Flash can sink a web site's chances of | | | | to consider whether the site you're linking to adds |
| success before the site is even launched. | | | | value for your web site visitor. If not, don't link to it. |
| Search engines like Google can't read text saved in | | | | For example, it may be a good idea to link to a site |
| Flash. If Google can't read what's on your site, it | | | | with a yoga article you want your site visitors to read. |
| certainly won't rank you very highly in search results -- | | | | It may also be a good idea to link to a national or |
| even if you offer exactly what people are looking for. | | | | international yoga directory so that your students can |
| And if Google doesn't rank you on page one of its | | | | find a yoga class when they travel. Even linking to your |
| search results for key phrases related to your | | | | favorite local massage therapist or Reiki practitioner |
| business, your site might as well not exist. People | | | | could be a good idea (so long as they're not also yoga |
| rarely scan past the first few search results. | | | | teachers -- as a general rule don't send hard-earned |
| The solution: Have your site built in HTML so that | | | | traffic to your competition) as these fields are |
| search engines can read your content. Use Flash | | | | complementary to your yoga business and may also |
| sparingly for visual effects on part of your page, or not | | | | get you some referrals from those businesses. These |
| at all. | | | | types of links add value for your visitor. |
| 3. An 'autoresponder' is an effective yoga marketing | | | | On the other hand, linking to a used car lot or your |
| tool, turning web site visitors into paying clients | | | | friend's brother's daughter's baby pictures, cute as they |
| Incorporate a sign-up form on your web site for a | | | | may be, are not such hot ideas. |
| newsletter to send by email periodically. The best | | | | |