Jim Carlson dot Net

I’ve read many studies that it takes the average website visitor 3-5 seconds to decide if they are going to stay on your site. With that in mind, I have worked with many clients who pay great attention to their home page to ensure their message gets across quickly and efficiently.

After conducting some SEO research for a client this week, I was reminded of something incredibly obvious and commonly overlooked: Search engines direct traffic to all pages of your site.

Although it is important to optimize your home page, it is equally critical to ensure all of your pages have a clear vision, are optimized for search engines and that the navigation of the site effectively allows users to find what they need quickly.

Never assume your visitors will land on your home page, make each page count. You have five seconds, make the most of them.

This discussion reminded me of the YouTube video “Information R/evolution“, which demonstrates how technology has changed the way we create, store and locate information:

Additional Reference:
5-Second Tests: Measuring Your Site’s Content Pages

Editors note: Other articles in this series:Updated Facebook Band and Business Pages, Musicians and Social Media Networks and Surviving a Recession as a Musician.

In my last post on Musicians and Social Media Networks, I discussed the basics of social media networks that help musicians communicate and promote their music. I have a MySpace band page, and as I discussed in the post mentioned above, managing social media networks can be a challenge, but may be worth the effort.

Needless to say, when Facebook announced Band Pages, I wasn’t the first to jump on bandwagon. However, after reading an article on New Muisc Strategies: What websites should I be on? (part 3), I took another look.

To set up a Facebook Band Page, you must already have (or create) a Facebook account. Once you are in your account, you can create ‘pages’ using the Page Manager application link in the left hand navigation. Read the rest of this entry »

Editors note: Other articles in this series:Facebook Band Pages, Updated Facebook Band and Business Pages, and Surviving a Recession as a Musician.

As a musician who has leveraged social media for several years, I use social media networks and tools every day to communicate with others and promote my music. The majority of these services are free, the only expense is your time.

Social media sites allow you to promote your music, videos, photos and gig schedules with your fans in an environment where they can interact with your music and share it with others in their network.

This article will look at two categories of social media:1) all-in-one social media networks and 2) stand alone networks which include specialty media and communication services.

Read the rest of this entry »

[Editors Note: From time to time, JimCarlsonDotNet will link to external sources of information, allowing you, the reader, to learn from some of the best minds on the web.]

So Firefox 3 has a new release candidate making news, suggesting that the browser is nearly done. May I suggest that the browser is nowhere near being done until the Mozilla Foundation drops its favoritism to Google and allow users to pick their own default search engine? And that Microsoft ought to be among those choices?

read more | digg story

This space will soon be home to the all new Jim Carlson dot Net, which will be home to a marketing blog. Although all aspects of marketing will be covered, the primary focus will be internet marketing, social marketing and leveraging free web based marketing services.

You see, I learned marketing, especially internet marketing as a way to promote my music: Jim Carlson Music dot Com. Ironically, the skills I used to promote myself has turned into my day job. Don’t worry, my music isn’t going anywhere.

In addition to writing my own content, I plan on tipping my hat to other sources of information, allowing you, the reader, to learn from some of the best minds on the web. I’m hoping this will be interactive, I want you to share helpful tips, tricks and links with me via the comments section and the occasional guest blog.

In the mean time, check out:
jim carlson music dot com
jim’s myspace music site
jim carlson’s official music blog
follow jim carlson on twitter

add my performance RSS/FEED