If you’re looking for a quick guide to online marketing, then let’s not waste your time and get right down to the point. Here are some of the more important marketing tools you can use to boost your online presence:

Search engine optimization

One of the first things we’ll discuss in this web marketing 101 guide is increasing the visibility of your website by applying search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. SEO involves “optimizing” a website around a set of keywords to make it more attractive to search engines like Google or Bing.

When a search engine user types in a specific set of keywords, a well-optimized website can rank in the top listings of a search engine’s results page. This makes it easier for potential visitors to find and visit your site instead of the competition.

Create content with backlinks

Any good guide to online marketing needs to cover backlinks. This involves creating online content that people find relevant, useful, and interesting, and then adding a link within the content that links them back to your website. Some of the more common examples include writing articles related to the content of your website, creating how-to tutorials, posting videos on You Tube or, posting a comment on a blog. All these content-based items should include a link back to your own website.

Opt-in programs

All websites that sell products or services should include an opt-in box. Visitors have the option to receive a “special offer” or free giveaway when they give you their email address and opt-in to your mailing list. The special offer or giveaway should be a reward for potential visitors and customers to receive in exchange for allowing you to send them emails. Examples of good giveaways include e-books, e-courses, downloadable audio or video, newsletters, success tips, and/or strategies. The content needs to be extremely relevant to the visitor. In the long run, you hope to convert casual visitors into paying customers while encouraging current customers to stay loyal to your business.

Social networking

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ are great marketing tools if used strategically with other marketing 101 strategies. These tools allow you to reach out to a wider audience while keeping touch with the needs and wants of your current audience. You need to be careful with social networks because an unhappy visitor can instantly post less than positive feedback about your business, or products and services to a big online audience. It’s best to use social networks as a place to post information of interest to your potential customers-rather than using these platforms to sell products. The object of the game is to build relationships with your visitors-and eventually make them your customers or clients.

Other Online interaction

One of the simplest methods that many overlook is simply interacting with potential customers in online communities. Go out and talk to people – give advice and share your expertise.

Online forums and blogs can be great places to interact with people and share your expertise on a particular subject matter. You can then discreetly insert a link leading back to your website. In these communities be careful not to self promote too aggressively. You want to appear as someone trying to give help-this gives the perception of being an expert in your field. People want to establish relationships and ultimately buy from people they perceive as experts.

Your web marketing 101 guide should include: SEO for your site, create web content and distribute it with links back to your website, develop attractive opt-in programs, use social networks to keep an open line of communication, and interact with the people you want visiting your site. Make these simple strategies part of your own online marketing guide consistently and you’ll see an increase in your web traffic and ultimately your customer base.

When using social media marketing for your business, the first and most important element is your website.

Your website or landing page is the first contact your potential customer has with you after finding you through your social marketing campaign. To reduce your visitors clicking off the page, use these three guidelines:

First- Think simple and free of clutter

Just like your desk, if your website is packed pull of unorganized and random elements… clean it up quickly.

Most of the time visitors to your site will judge your page within 3 seconds and either decide to stay or leave. Having a cluttered site makes it hard for your visitor to find out if you have what they are looking for. Always make it easier for your web visitor to find exactly the information you are providing without having to click all over the place.

Also, make sure to guide your web visitor in the direction they need to be going. For instance if there is information about different types of information, give them a choice like “If you are looking for dental insurance, click here… for motorcycle insurance, click here.” Making it simple helps them find what they need quickly and reduces the chance of them leaving early.

Second – Avoid big filed graphics and animations

Your web visitors will be coming to your site from various different platforms, computers, and internet speeds. If you load up your site with large graphic files or processor heavy animations, you limit the amount of people that can view your site.

These days, many people use their phone and other mobile devices to quickly find information or a merchant and you don’t want to restrict their access. Flashy sites are for winning agency awards, not for doing business. Keep it simple and light.

If you need help building a site, don’t worry about having to learn HTML, CSS or Java. Use simple but powerful web building software like Weebly or WordPress and you’ll have a very a nice looking site that will do more than you need for running a business.

Third – Tell your visitor what to do

The call to action is the most important step you need to have in your website or any other marketing piece you have. It tells your reader, “Look, to get your cavity fixed, pick up your phone, call 555-1234 right now and end the pain immediately!” While that might sound simple or obvious, you would be surprised the difference having a line like that makes.

Be sure to have clear, simple directions on what to do to contact you or how to request more information at the end of every page you have online or in print. You will quickly see a jump in your response.

Having a website for your social media marketing is vital. But don’t let it overwhelm you, it can be as simple as clicking a few buttons and writing some basic descriptions if you use the resources mentioned above. If you already have a website for your small business, go through it and make sure you’re keeping it simple and clean as discussed in the first steps.